A Workshop Performance of Goin’ Hollywood, as it works towards a full UK Production
A schmaltzy musical with creditable performances, but potential for more from the material.
In an era of dawning 21st century McCarthyism it’s no wonder that a new musical can find ample material in going back to the heady Hollywood days of the 1940s, when the American film industry was riding a high boosted by World War 2 but heading into that infamous era of Red Scares and Blacklists. Combining this with musical influences from a Golden Age of on-screen musicals should be a firm recipe for a fantastic show but Goin’ Hollywood stumbles as much as it succeeds.
One clear strength of the current iteration of the show, which is busy finding a home in London after a successful debut in America, is undoubtedly the cast. Led by Miriam-Teak Lee alongside Zach Sorrow and supported by performers who just ooze charisma and stage-presence (particularly May Tether and Mark Oxtoby), everyone on stage makes sure that the absolute best is made of the material. It’s that material itself that may need a little extra work, however.
The plot focuses on two struggling writers in the modern age, apparently in a relationship yet rarely seeming to act like it. They admire the bygone era of Old Hollywood and through an inexplicable bout of time-travelling get to return to the 1940s to live out a year there. That this all happens a bit too quickly and without strong character grounding – particularly the part where a random passer-by hires our protagonists as big studio writers on the spot – points to a large flaw in the story as a whole; why bother with the era-swapping at all if it’s going to be so rushed? Simply make a musical set in the era with characters who have genuine stakes representative of the time.
This persistent issue aside, the show does try to do some interesting things once its foundation is in place. Our plucky young writers are soon in for much disillusionment as Big Hollywood proves to be less romantic than the pictures pushed out, and the shadow of the Red Scare looms; this becomes the show’s focus, but one that’s dealt with poorly. An atmosphere of terror comes to dominate the studios, lives are ruined and secrets are brought to light, but our protagonists simply time travel back out of Dodge and laugh it off. It’s a narrative that approaches substance without really engaging with it.
The music side of this musical is fun, without exactly standing out, and full credit is to be given for the musical direction, playing with the motifs of the era; but the production does lack that special something that helps new musicals become new favourites. Currently the cast do wonderfully with what they’re given, and there’s excellent potential here for a future evolution of the show.
Presented by Watertower Theatre
This performance of Goin’ Hollywood was part of a workshop, as the producers work towards a full UK run.
