★★★
It’s genuinely impressive to see a full-scale musical at the Fringe. Genuinely Confused Theatre Company have to be commended for their ambition and sincere commitment to bringing accurate representation to the stage.
The cast are great singers; Liberty Ashford as Lauren, Gabriel Phelan as Nat and Olivia Jenkins as Chloe (who is also the movement director) make for a great trio of late teens, each navigating a neurotypical world. Whether dating, bullying or going through an assessment, we see the all-too-familiar ableism that permeates our culture.
Anto Buckley plays the piano beautifully and Leonora Brooks as writer, composer and co-director, has crafted a professional piece alongside Edward Turner.
Perhaps in pitching the show as a primer for audiences to understand being autistic, there’s no room for showing autistic joy, it felt very much, in battling the misconceptions of being autistic, whilst important, it missed showing audiences other aspects of the autistic experience.
I felt Brooks was heavily influenced by Dear Evan Hansen that dramatic American high-school musical, I don’t know if translates as well to a British Uni (I’m reminded of when Glee became Britannia High).
It’s a common (and justified) feeling many disabled-led theatre groups have, that they feel they have to cover EVERYTHING about a subject, but it can make shows feel crowded and contrived.
I’m Autistic – A New Musical is on at Venue 45 at theSpace @ Venue 45 until August 23rd
