A TALENTED CAST, A LOVELY DINNER AND A MURDER MYSTERY I COULDN’T QUITE GET MY HEAD AROUND

By Tanya Howard | Founder, The Live Review London · @glamglitzlondon ⭐⭐⭐ | Press Invite

I’ve been to Brick Lane Music Hall twice before and absolutely loved both shows I saw. Whilst that adds extra excitement for a visit, it can also bring pressure on the next production. I went into The Pleasures of Fanny: A Murder Mystery with an expectation of great songs, a talented cast and a hilarious production. And whilst the production had a lot going for it, sadly, I found myself disappointed with some aspects.

The Pleasures of Fanny is billed as a murder mystery musical, with the audience invited to question suspects, piece together clues and decide whodunit. On paper, that sounds right up my street. Give me a bit of musical theatre, some comedy and a murder to solve and I’m there. Unfortunately, I found the actual storyline confusing, to the point where at times I wasn’t entirely sure there was one.

ONE SHOW, THREE STORIES AND A LOT TO KEEP UP WITH

The basic premise follows the SLAGs, the Silvertown Lovies Amateur Group, putting on their production of The Pleasures of Fanny. So, you have the actual production happening as well as the behind-the-scenes storyline of the actors. Then there’s a mini production of HMS Pinafore, the SLAGs previous production. And a rogue Pearly Queens section which I honestly couldn’t tell you why it was included. It was just too much to keep up with.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a bit of chaos, especially when it’s intentional. But I found myself lost in which bit of the story I was supposed to be following. The first act ends with a murder, which gave me hope in thinking “Right, here we go, time to solve this thing”. Instead, Act Two jumps straight into a musical number and the murder seems to have been forgotten until there’s a second one.

Maybe I misunderstood the description of question suspects and follow the clues, because there wasn’t really an opportunity for either. I can’t pick out what would have been major clue moments, and at no point did the cast plead their case for why they weren’t the murderer. To then be asked to vote for the murderer felt like a pointless request as we didn’t really have much to go off. It really felt like the murder was an afterthought to all the musical numbers, rather than a pivotal plot point.

THE CAST DESERVED A STORY THAT MATCHED THEIR TALENT

The frustrating thing is that the cast themselves are not the problem. I already knew from previous visits that the Brick Lane Music Hall performers are talented. They can sing, dance, act and throw an accent around with ease, and no denying that even with this show. The energy on stage and the atmosphere of the venue was electric as ever, but the storyline let them down.

There were moments where I could see what they were trying to do, but with so much packed into the production, it was hard not to get lost. It also doesn’t help when you’ve seen two previous shows at the same venue that you absolutely loved, because naturally you compare them. I know what Brick Lane Music Hall can do, and unfortunately The Pleasures of Fanny didn’t quite hit the same standard for me.

THE FOOD WILL ALWAYS BE PART OF THE REASON TO COME BACK

Brick Lane Music Hall is not just about the show, it’s also about the food. And thankfully, the food was just as good as before. We were on a dinner sitting, which started with Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup served with fresh bread. Although served with is a moot point for me because the bread was long gone by the time the soup arrived. What can I say, I love bread.

The main course was Chicken Wrapped in Parma Ham with Potato Gratin, Seasonal Vegetables & Cream of Mushroom Sauce. Before finishing up with a Poached Clementine & Prosecco Cheesecake. I’m not normally a cheesecake girl, but I loved this one. The flavours were lush, and no, it wasn’t just because there was Prosecco involved.

I’m always impressed by the food at Brick Lane Music Hall because they’re feeding a lot of people with a quick turnaround time. I’ve been to other places where food becomes a second thought and they increase the price to ridiculous levels because food is included. But not here, the food is something to look forward to, just as much as the show itself. And with tickets starting at £45, depending on sitting, it’s really great value.

I’M NOT BREAKING UP WITH BRICK LANE MUSIC HALL JUST YET

The Pleasures of Fanny was a tricky review for me because there was plenty I liked. The cast were talented, the atmosphere was lovely, the costumes were fab and the food was delicious. But the plot, such an important part of any show, had me so lost. The idea was there but there were just too many elements fighting for attention.

That said, would this stop me going to Brick Lane Music Hall again? Absolutely not. I’ve had two great experiences there previously, and one show that didn’t quite hit the mark isn’t going to put me off. I’m already hoping the next one knocks it out of the park, just like they have in the past.

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