Society Slump Superstars

A hilarious and bizarre debut from Joshua Hopton Stewart, this musical is a twisted mix between The Glee Project and The Hunger Games.

Set in New Zealand in the midst of a depression rid recession, the Prime Minister passes a new law requiring all citizens to dance and sing, turning every day into a live musical. We follow a group of school kids all with very different opinions of this new law, when people start to disappear we realise that all is not what it seems. Those who are left must sing and dance to the death in the Prime Minister’s new pageant “Society Slump Superstar.”

From the start there are issues with placing of the lighting, at times cast members are completely in shadow while singing or speaking, surely a tech run would have picked up something as rudimentary as this? The performances however easily make up for this oversight. The songs cover everything, from group dance  numbers to heartfelt solos and even a sing off in the final scene.

The plot is outlandish but this show revels in it. I love shows that are ridiculous for the sake of being ridiculous. The story is full of humour, a lot of which is modern (a few quips about Facebook and the like). I especially loved Gina, the crazy activist character (an interview with the audience post-show on youtube informs me “It’s just Annabel playing Annabel"), while Kristen (the Julie Andrews hating Rachel Berry wanna-be) is the kind of character audiences love to hate. The cast all perform their roles brilliantly. The music is cleverly written and well timed through the show. A solo pianist provides the backing music from the stage. The lyrics are both weird and witty and fit each character well.

I definitely recommend Society Slump Superstars, it is a highly entertaining show and one that everyone will enjoy.

BATS Theatre 10-14 April 8:00pm

Ticket prices: Full $18, Concession $14