An exuberant immersive musical, featuring hummable tunes, wickedly sharp wit, captioned projections, uncannily lifelike masks and a live band of excellent musicians, it’s a rollercoaster ride through the story of a dystopian world which sometimes feels eerily familiar, ultimately asking: what will really make us happy?
Review by Richard Lambert
I always enjoy visiting the Leicester Square Theatre. It’s right in the heart of London and has a really welcoming feel. From the unassuming entrance, you head down a narrow staircase into a surprisingly spacious auditorium, and it always feels like a bit of a hidden gem.
Dystopia 26: The Rock Opera is, without doubt, one of the more unusual shows I’ve seen. The band perform wearing masks of infamous dictators and tyrants, but I never quite worked out what I was supposed to feel about them. If the intention is satire, the message feels rather muddled. It never becomes clear whether we’re meant to be laughing at these figures or engaging with them more seriously, and because of that the central joke never really lands.
What does work brilliantly is the music. The band are excellent throughout, delivering an energetic rock score with real confidence. The lighting complements the performance well, and the video design is genuinely impressive. The animations are inventive, perfectly synchronised with the music, and clearly the product of a huge amount of creative thought. My only frustration was that, from where I was sitting, the bottom of the two projection screens was obscured, making some of the on-screen text difficult to read.
It often feels as though the production is working backwards, trying to build a narrative around a collection of strong songs rather than allowing the story to drive the music. For me, that approach doesn’t entirely come together, and the plot never quite finds its footing. That said, I still enjoyed the evening. There’s plenty of talent on stage, some memorable music, and enough visual flair to make it an entertaining night out, even if the storytelling never fully matches the ambition of the concept.
Beldon Haigh – Justin Skelton, Lead Vocal and Guitar
Helen Raiser – Fiona Lynch, Vocals
President Blame / Magnanimous Moon – Dru Baker, Keyboard, Flute and Sax
Trump Chicken – Martin Barnaby, Bass
Kim Jong Elvis – JT Stevens, Lead Guitar
Polonium Putin – Anna Fettes, Drums
https://www.dystopiarockopera.com | Instagram: beldonhaighofficial |
X/Twitter: @beldonhaigh | Watch the trailer here: https://youtu.be/NuZ_Q34gM_Q