FLOP: Forgotten Songs From Forgotten Musical ~ Adelaide Fringe 2025 Review

[CABARET/Musical Theatre ~ VIC ~ SA PREMIERE] Spiegel Zelt at The Garden of Unearthly Delights, Thu 6 Mar, 2025. Featuring twelve freshly unearthed gems from the depths of forgotten flopped Musicals. Despite not being original music this show has the thrill of the new (unless you have heard of Carrie The Musical, or Phantom Of The Opera 2…), alongside a healthy dose of musical history trivia and veneration. It’s the encore that no one asked for, but I promise, everybody needs. In his one-man show Arthur Hull is endeavouring to honour the uncelebrated creatives of the musical theatre world. The musicals that closed early, were critically un-acclaimed, or just plain FLOPS! Cabaret is the perfect medium for Hull’s mission. What better way than to put them back where all musical enthusiasts long to be, the spotlight! A sprinkling of props, a flash of technicolour lights and we are practically on Broadway. Of course, this is all an excuse to do what musical theatre fans love most, spontaneously break into tangentially relevant song! With glittering grey eyeshadow and sweaty bangs that hang in perfect strands Hull looks the part. A slightly crazed glint in his eye as he half teasingly (but half not, because he is nailing the choreography and hitting every note) re-enacts the ‘flops’. In Hull's hands it is hard to believe these songs were not smash hits! He self-accompanies on the synthesizer and piano, sometimes dashing between the two to generate entire soundtracks. Hull has a beautiful voice with an insane range, he has no problem playing Diana and Charles in ‘Diana: The Musical’. He could perhaps act through his songs slightly more, but his vocal talent alone more than carries the show. At just twenty years old, this is a phenomenal fringe debut. In the end Hull more than succeeds in proving that even the worst of musicals has something to salvage. Such family favourites as A Girl's Gotta Do What a Girl's Gotta Do from the Pentecostal-funded evangelist Musical, Scandalous, were surprisingly catchy! Or Do It, basically sexual assault personified in song (from Grease 2, naturally), which proved to be almost ahead of its time. Lyrics like "If our President were here, I’m sure he would approve" have depressing political resonance for a Trumpian audience. I thank Hull for his service to the musical theatre community, saving these songs from playbill oblivion, or worse, backstage! I would say it’s rare to see such devotion, fanaticism, research, and panache for musical theatre on show.  It's classic musical theatre kid, and the life blood of the Fringe. Come along and revel in it! 4 stars Lilah Shapiro FLOPS! continues at the Spiegel Zelt at The Garden of Unearthly Delights, at various times, until Sun 16 Mar. Bookings at FringeTIX and adelaidefringe.com.au. Click HERE to purchase your tickets. #ADLFringe #TheClothesline