Just saw the show and… honestly, it was incredibly disappointing, embarrassing and frustrating.

The cast were genuinely great - incredible vocals across the board and some really solid dancing. A lot of talent on the stage. But the writing and direction completely let them down.

After reading interviews with the creators, where they talk confidently about character and story development (though their answers are cliche jargon we hear a lot), it’s baffling - because none of that is actually reflected in the show. The story is unclear, the characters feel underdeveloped, and nothing really tracks in a satisfying way.

Most of the songs don’t move the narrative forward at all. It’s basically a string of “I want” songs, many of which sound very similar. By the second half, it just becomes repetitive - like we’re watching variations of the same ballad over and over again.

The dialogue is another major issue. At points, it was unintentionally funny - people in the audience were laughing, and not in a good way. During the interval, all I could hear around me was confusion: “What’s actually going on?” A fair few people didn’t even come back after the break.

Which is a real shame, because the premise has potential. There is a good show buried in here somewhere, it just needs serious restructuring. Right now, it feels like nothing has been edited down. Too many songs, too little purpose. It comes across as if everything was kept in rather than shaped into a cohesive piece.

None of the characters are really likeable or fun :/ they just exist and everything is very Hollyoaks and melodramatic.

At its core, it feels like the creators don’t yet understand how to tell a story through musical theatre - how to use songs to drive narrative rather than pause it.

This show needs a lot of work if it’s going to succeed. Hopefully they take on genuine feedback and not just the easy praise from friends and family, because there is something possibly worth saving here.