★★
St James Theatre, London
Guest reviewer: Charlotte Darcy
With a talented cast, fleshed out with the odd soap star and a top notch creative team, Exposure promised to be a night of lively, entertaining theatre. It was certainly lively, but that didn’t save it from being entirely nonsensical and ridiculous.
In the 12 years it took Dyer to write the book and having collaborated with as many composers, why did nobody sit the man down and let him know he was creating, possibly the most bizarre piece of theatre ever written.
The story, such as it is, follows Jimmy, (David Albury) a passionate photographer who has just returned from a harrowing assignment in the Sudan to take some PR shots of a pop princess (Niamh Perry) that he used to go to school with. Possibly (to many in the audience) one of the few good things about this show was that more often than not the ripped Albury was shirtless.
Jimmy is then introduced to the pop star’s demonic manager, Miles Mason (Michael Greco), who at one point sings a song (entitled Miles Mason) about how hearing his own name gives him an erection – though to be honest, given Greco’s inability to pronounce words clearly, the hardest part of the number was trying to discern the words at all.
Greco propositions our leading man to take paparazzi photographs of examples of the seven deadly sins. What follows is then some bizarre satanic battle in a London Underground inspired Hell. And somewhere in all of this madness Jimmy falls in love with a random homeless woman, Tara, (Natalie Anderson) who makes angels out of coke cans.
The show’s truly impressive feature is Lindon Barr‘s choreography. The ensemble were incredibly tight and despite the ever changing story line, the movement in each scene was perfect. Barr should be proud of himself.
One doubts that this musical will be revisited any time soon – it may well have received too much exposure already.
Runs until 27th AugustReviewed by Charlotte DarcyPhoto credit Pamela Raith
