We will rob you, more like. This insultingly slapdash musical by Ben Elton and Queen is possibly the most cynical piece of entertainment I’ve ever seen. The pomp-rockers’ impressive greatest hits are hammered willy-nilly into a nonsensical futuristic plot. The onstage band is ok, but that’s a low bar. There are two singing styles: loud and louder, both equally unclear.
The choreography recalls an aerobics video, the mostly projected sets are vestigial, and the costumes appalling. The acting is OTT and full of pre-emptive, knowing nods to the crappiness of the whole enterprise. All this in a show that purports to be about rebellion and “the kids” taking back creativity from a corporate, sanitised culture. My irony glands exploded two hours into the three-hour running time. Is English National Opera seriously being booted out of the Coliseum for the likes of this?
