Wasted Review, filmed at the Southwark Playhouse

Credit: https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/archive-2018/wasted/

Warning you now - November is going to be BUSY! A lot of stuff seems to be coming out for the next few weeks, especially at the end of the month. 

Wish my wallet luck!

Thankfully, this show won't pinch on the pennies as it is free! From the Southwark Playhouse archives, new British musical Wasted has been uploaded for some time now for everyone to enjoy. And to be honest, I didn't even know it was there until yesterday. 

Before you ask: NO this is NOT about having one cocktail too many on a Saturday night....

In fact it is about some of the most famous authors in the English language. 

Everyone knows the Bronte sisters: Charlotte, Emily and Anne. This musical tells their, and their brother Bramwell's stories: from growing up poor in Yorkshire, to trying to get their foot in the door with their writing, and their biggest works such as Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights being published under pseudonyms. But at the end of the day, was everything they gone through wasted. 

Just like other popular musicals popping up recently, this is told in a musical style you may not expect. Hamilton gave us rap and hip hop; Six gave us Spice-Girls pop; Wasted gave us grunge. 

The songs are mostly in the style of rockers of the 90s, Nirvana in particular coming to mind, as well as artists like Oasis, Alanis Morrisette and Green Day. In theatre comparions, think RENT and Spring Awakening. 

And I will admit it is not for everyone. So come into this with an open mind. But like with any good song, it's the lyrics that get you engaged and Carl's Miller's book and lyrics are what make it work.

Credit: https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/archive-2018/wasted/

Each sister had her own style musically to suit her character: Charlotte (played by Natasha J Barnes (Falsettos)) being standard and classic rock to suit her grounded personality: Anne (played by Molly Lunch (Sunset Boulevard, The Light in the Piazza)) the youngest having a lot of high riffs and belts on top: and the self-proclaimed goth Emily being rich and earthy. 

Siobhan Athwel had in my opinion the best suited voice for this type of music. Her solos had a bit of Kate Bush influencing them, no doubt a reference to Wuthering Heights. And one more point concerning Emily: her look was a cross between Mimi Marquez and Bellatrix Lestrange and I LOVED it!

The final character in the story was the brother Bramwell, played by Matthew Jacobs Morgan. His experience was the contrast to the sisters in that, he was the only one really living the "rock n roll" lifestyle the music is based on - because he was the only one able to do so...?  His search for fame and fortune, affair with Lydia Robinson, to his tensions with his sisters is all touched on here - and making the girls' breakthrough all the more remarkable considering the time. 

Credit: https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/archive-2018/wasted/

I admit it did take me a little time to get into Wasted. It smacks you with the Nirvana grunge in the first number, not just in the music but in the setting too, with chrome scaffolding, amp cases and wired mics. 

The pacing does then take it a bit slow, so it didn't engage me fully until near the end of the first act. But this is something I am still glad I saw, and if you think this may be for you: go for it. 

And like I said - this one is free!

You can watch Wasted on Southwark Playhouse's website: https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/archive-2018/wasted/