Jingle Street
Chordstruck Theatre
Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose
August 2023
⭐⭐⭐
Jingle Street promises a blend of Mad Men and Groundhog Day, with comical jingles and a bit of Broadway pizazz! In this new musical from Chordstruck Theatre, ad writer Colin wakes up to discover that he can only speak in jingles. It's an original and fun concept that leads to lots of awkward situations and laugh-out loud moments.
The writing is clever and playful, with so many jingles and ad references thrown in your head will be spinning with nostalgia. The musical theatre score with lyrics from Joe Venable and music by Georgina Rawlins is expertly played by a live pianist, though I did find some of the numbers to be a little 'musical theatre generic'.
There are moments of brilliance however: 'Pinkie Swear' is the standout number in the show, with a magnificent performance at its heart from Xander Pang as Holofernes. Pang shines throughout the show and it makes me wish that Colin's boss, Holofernes, had a little more of the limelight.
The cast are all strong: Maddie Smith and Emily Huxter have gorgeous voices and stage presence; and Tom Hayes in the lead role of ad-executive Colin does such a remarkable job of blurting out the jingles, it's incredible that he never fluffs his lines. His comic timing is excellent.
The show works well in the space it's performed, with a simple cross-walk street scene providing the backdrop for the action.
There are a number of well-conceived plot lines running through the show from the evil advertising agency and their stark immorality, to a love story (triangle) and even some environmentalism.
There is plenty to build on here; Jingle Street has great potential. It's unique and silly, and already a lot of fun.
⭐⭐⭐
When and Where?
Venue: Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose (Other Yin) at 16:15
Dates: August 2-27th (not 14th or 21st)
Runtime: 1 hour
REVIEW: Jingle Street, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2023
🎟️ Disclosure: I am an Edinburgh Festival Fringe accredited media reviewer and as such I receive complimentary press tickets in exchange for my honest reviews. My reviews and star ratings are always my honest opinions.
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