Review: Swedish Furniture Store – The Musical, The Courtyard Theatre

Growing up in Purley, trips to the big IKEA at Purley Way, with its two tall chimneys bedecked in the Swedish flag, were a fairly regular treat in school holidays. I loved visiting all the rooms set up, opening cupboards and trying out sofas. Who needs expensive theme parks when you’ve got IKEA? So, when I heard there was a musical heavily inspired by my favourite shop, I knew I had to be there. Sadly, it felt more like a trudge around B&Q.

It’s a great premise for parody. Most people will have their own reference points, whether it be the meatballs in the cafe or the names of the most popular furniture. Yet the show is a few key pieces short of a successful build. The plot is frankly bizarre – it feels incredibly dated. The premise is that a woman has moved in with her husband, who used to have a large house but they moved together and somehow he lost all his furniture? So for two weeks they’ve been sitting on the floor. And she’s not allowed to get any furniture on her own, or doesn’t feel like she can? Either it’s a very coercive relationship that is trivialised, or it’s a very misogynistic view of a healthy relationship. It’s as jarring as a wonky Kallax unit.

She then goes around the store and meets a number of quirky characters. As they are introduced the bizarreness of the show reveals itself. An audience member in front of me is entertaining, with their increasingly baffled looks to their friend, as we meet a tap dancer looking for the perfect surface to tap on or a couple trying to save their relationship by finding the best furniture to fornicate on. A wave of giggles rises at inopportune moments when, for example, a woman gives birth almost instantaneously before singing what can only be assumed is a very tender song – if it could be heard.

That’s one of the biggest issues with this show; it’s a musical yet the musical aspect is incredibly weak. I’m genuinely shocked that a production with so many people involved, despite a fringe budget, fails to have any live musicians. The backing track is synthetic and quite unpleasant: even one pianist would have been better. It’s also too loud, so for a few of the cast members with weaker voices, the words are lost entirely. The music itself is also quite unmemorable, and there’s no humming of songs on the train home. The composer regularly uses a device whereby the actors sing along with the melody of a fake instrument, but sometimes they’re out of time. This feels shoddy.

Despite these issues, there is no doubting the enthusiasm of the production, from the yellow polo-necked cast walking about before the show starts with QR codes for the programme around their neck, to the high energy performances throughout. A few stand out vocal performances come from Isabel Gil-Perez, our leading lady, who despite being slightly lost against the backing track in her first song, does have a gorgeous voice when it can be heard. She’s also got a level of charm and charisma that manages to carry the insane plot along. Phil Sherrard is another stand out performer. He genuinely makes me laugh and his vocals are strong.

I’m a huge musicals fan and there’s always that hope you’re about to see the next big thing. Sadly this show feels a bit like visiting the lighting section of the IKEA Marketplace, wondering when it will end. The premise has potential, it just needs a bit of tightening with an Allen key or perhaps a full up-cycle.

Written, directed and composed by Aixa Casenellas
Written, directed and produced by Ida Thorp
Choreography by Bush Baski

Swedish Furniture Store The Musical has completed its run at The Courtyard Theatre