Theatre Review: The Life of the Party

We’ve come to be familiar with the term ‘triple threat’ but it would seem that the theatre community could do with a whole new term to describe the talents of Andrew Lippa. Not only is he a high accomplished composer and musician, his skills extend to acting, singing, dancing and stand up comedy – as proved in his new show The Life of the Party which is currently playing at the Menier Chocolate Factory.

Although he is known primarily as a composer and lyricist, his expert vocals and natural rapport with the audience sets him above others of his kind, elevating his skill to be a form of modern day Renaissance Man. Fans of his work will revel in hearing it delivered to absolute perfection, and those coming to it for the first time will soon find themselves devoted fans.

It’s perhaps difficult to describe the feel of The Life of the Party. Part musical revue, part cabaret, part stand up comedy, it feels somewhat like a backers audition to introduce the work of the composer to a wider London audience who have been deprived of any of his full length musicals in a professional capacity. Unlike similar shows by his contemporaries there is no attempt to create thematic links between material or forge a new narrative, instead the audience are treated to self contained ‘mini-musicals’ that highlights the musical highs of Big Fish and The Addams Family in Act One, and John & Jen and The Wild Party in Act Two. Peppered alongside a smattering of songs not contained in musicals, or from shows currently in development and you have an evening of pure unadulterated musical bliss.

Lippa’s music defines the sound of musical theatre in both the traditional and modern sense. His ability to musicalize such a wide range of texts and stimuli, from the Cartoons of Charles Addams to the life of gay political activist Harvey Milk, his music is successful in both creating character and initiating an appropriate mood.

The cast (of which Lippa is one himself) is uniformly excellent. There is no greater gift to British musical theatre than performer Damien Humbley, who shines in every number, be it in the guise of Uncle Fester singing a love song to the moon or the intimidating Burrs. As the British answer to Norbert Leo Butz, his voice brings out the best in Lippa’s music – the melodic content and the gift he has to tell a story from start to finish in the most engaging way possible. Caroline O’Connor is blessed with perfect comic timing and skillful delivery, making her rendition of Old Fashioned (lesbian) Love Story a deserved highlight of the night. Lippa himself excels in performing, delivering his most interesting work, I am Harvey Milk in a powerful and fully relatable way.

What is striking about the performance is how committed each cast member is to each segment. They each play their tracks with utter conviction, seamlessly changing from one show to the next in a chameleon like fashion, with never a jolt in the road, helping the show to feel cohesive and related.

The evening is guided masterly by Lippa’s well oiled address to the audience, which helps guide the evening but never clogs it down with excess context or personal indulgence – something that shows of this genre often run the risk of. Backed by a stunning string ensemble, each song is realized in a fresh and invigorating way. This is an unmissable production for fans of the composer, as well as those looking to broaden their knowledge of what musical theatre can achieve. I only hope this show wets the appetites of London audiences for a full-scale Lippa musical in the near future. Dom O’Hanlon

Rating: 5/5