Armchair Reviewers Club - Round up of Week 16 (Wasted)

Hello, and welcome back to another week of Armchair Reviewers! This week we are looking at Southwark Playhouse’s Wasted, a musical adaptation of the life of the Brontës.

Let’s see what our reviewers thought…

'I would have never thought a rock musical based on the Brontë siblings would work, but strangely it does. With a rock band at the back, and microphones in hand, I’m reminded of echoes of the musical Spring Awakening, where the characters used punk style music to express their teenage angst. I felt this convention was used in a similar way, a pure expression of their writing voices. Credit to the cast who all manage to sell this unique take.'
– Lauren via email

I really liked the link to Spring Awakening there, and it brings up a great conversation about the use of microphones in a performance, and the character performing and creating a persona themselves. In this piece, I think it works well to highlight each sibling, screaming to get their writing voices heard.

Here’s what some other reviewers thought…

'This piece certainly wasn’t what I was expecting when I knew this week we’d look at the Brontë sisters!

A raw, powerful, emotive look at these young people wanting to find their way. A special credit must be given to Natasha Barnes as Charlotte, who plays the older sibling with such earnest and power. The whole ensemble gives it their all, and you’d be forgiven for forgetting that they are all on a small blank square of a stage, as they create the worlds they are in well.

The play is a long one, and I think some songs could have done with a bit of chopping and adjusting to help with the pace of the piece. However, I cannot deny it was one unique take on a historical dynasty that will stay with me' – Tom via email

'Wasted is a unique performance. Unique in the sense that it isn't a literary exploration of the three Brontë sisters Charlotte, Emily, Anne, and their brother Branwell, instead it is a loud, pulsating musical with a scorching rock soundtrack.

The flamboyance and excess of a typical musical are replaced with modesty and smallness. The performance space is small and packed closely together which adds to the uniqueness.

Wasted is a wonderful hybrid of musical numbers, striking visuals and splendid performances. It isn't a biography of the Brontë family but it offers something different which is captivating...' – Marcus by email

Thank you so much for all of your contributions to this week’s round up, and all the round ups we’ve had over the last few months; it’s been fantastic to fully engage with everyone about all the productions, and it’s certainly helped me to stay cultured.

We hope to see you in a real theatre soon!

Daniel Whateley
Programming & Events Coordinator