"From the creators of Chicago and Cabaret," say the posters for new production Curtains, slapped all over the walls of Manchester's Palace Theatre.
Such big shoes to fill might be enough to kill the chances of a fledgling new production, with expectations sky high for any play from the legendary Broadway duo, John Kander and Fred Ebb.
But it is a pleasure to write that while Curtains may not hit the heady highs of those classic shows its poster name-drops, it still delivers a funny and heart-warming experience.
Curtains is a musical whodunnit. Jessica Cranshaw, star of the new Broadway-bound musical Robin Hood, has been murdered on stage on opening night. The entire cast and crew are suspects, so it’s up to local detective and huge musical fan, Frank Cioffi (Jason Manford) to solve the mystery.
Skewering both the theatre industry and genre tropes, Curtains is a post-The Producers comedy musical that is both dark humoured and meta.
The show is consistently funny throughout its running time, effortlessly switching between big numbers and rapid-fire witty dialogue.
The whole cast appear to be relishing the punchy material and without exception deliver memorable comic performances.
A real strength of this musical is the depth it gives its main characters. Nearly every one had their own satisfying arc, giving the performers something to sink their teeth into.
Special praise goes to Samuel Holmes’ performance of director Christopher Belling. Gifted with the best lines, he made sure to bring the house down with each one.
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Jason Manford is also charming in the lead role, and though clearly more comfortable joking than jiving, gives a strong anchoring performance that holds all the different narrative threads together.
One of the show's weaker elements is its songs - a pretty unfortunate flaw for a musical. Though enjoyable in the moment, it’s unlikely you’ll be humming them on the way out or searching for the cast album on Spotify.
Big number In the Same Boat (Complete) stands out from the pack, but isn’t close to the heights of Kander and Ebb’s best work.
The other major issue in Curtains is the pacing. Though consistently fun, the show felt far too long in the tooth.
But all in all Curtains is an enjoyable and clever comedy musical that may not last long in the memory, but will have you tapping your toes and laughing out loud throughout.
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