How to Succeed in a Fringe Show

So far we’ve been able to see two fringe shows: Jules and Jem and How to Succeed and Business Without Really Trying. I found that compared to the West End shows that I saw, Fringe Theatre matches or almost exceeds their level of talent. Both fringe shows had at least one popular name/ television or film actor as well which was interesting to see their performance on a smaller scale. In How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, the stage was small, the theater was extremely hot, and the costumes were colorful. With a small stage and limited playing space, I felt that the actors were still able to exhibit their talent and take advantage of their blocking space in a positive way. The vocals were brilliant, some much better than some I saw in West End shows, and their movement, choreography, lines, and timing were rehearsed very well. The script was kitschy, and some songs weren’t necessarily needed, but I thought the musical as a whole was enjoyable. You could easily tell that the story was developed in the 1960s, but the use of non-traditional casting did well at turning around any controversial or old-fashioned jokes and tropes. The use of non-traditional casting and gender-bended roles in both of these shows make the plots feel fresher and give new meanings to the outdated scripts. However, though the scripts feel refreshed because of the actors, the words are still the same, and some of the words just don’t transfer. No matter how adapted some shows are, some scripts will always feel dull or confusing, or problematic.