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Be More Chill- musical review

What is 'normal'? It's likely that in this day and age, we've asked ourselves this in comparison to those around us, especially being immersed into the current world of social media. It is even more undoubtable when it feels as if the spotlight is on you during your teenage years, when you just don't fit in. Jeremy- played excellently by Scott Folan- is experiencing just that. Upon discovering a way that he thought would eliminate all his problems, the quirky school boy takes a pill to implant a supercomputer into his brain, hoping that most of all, it would help him to get a girlfriend, and be more chill.

Directed by Stephen Brackett, and based on the book of the same name, the show is littered with plenty of laughs to compliment its witty and unusual nature, along with an abundance of catchy tracks throughout- music and lyrics by Joe Iconis. Each character brings an essential personality to the group to make the dynamics flow: Blake Patrick Anderson does an especially beautiful job at playing the best friend Michael, acing his hit solo 'Michael in the Bathroom'. Millie O'Connell plays the infamous Chloe Valentine, with Eloise Davies being Brooke, the sidekick and Renée Lamb as Jenna, the gossiping friend, between them leading 'The Smartphone Hour', which will undoubtably become memorable, especially for the riffs! Miracle Chance nails it as Christine, the eccentric love interest with the angelic voice, and 'The Squip', played by Stewart Clarke, is a fantastic character, with a wicked costume, despite arguably looking like a monochromatic version of 'the coat of many colours' at times. As a collective, the whole cast are wonderful together.


There is simplistic lighting and graphics on the walls throughout, that, along with the lack of detailed set pieces, perfectly illustrate the modern, sci-fi vibes of the show. The array of costumes, particularly notable during the Halloween party scenes, bring the characters to life even more, without relying on the surroundings to tell the story. Chase Brock has created some entrancing choreography to fit any size of stage and compliment the soundtrack well too.


Be More Chill concludes with 'Voices in my Head'- an upbeat ending that leaves you wanting more.

With only a 10 week run at the Shaftesbury Theatre, this is not one to miss!


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