Enter the glowing world of emojis, Likes, cyber wars, armageddon, conspiracies and lesbian love. A co-production by The Hayes Theatre and Griffin Theatre, Flat Earthers: The Musical hurled the packed audience through a wormhole of digital delight and launched a spectacular show into season.

In a world full of fake news and conspiracies, Flat Earthers feels like a fun fanfic musical with
upbeat and poppy tunes, slick choreography and plenty of “awww” moments. The set transforms the Hayes, cutting the stage in half with it’s half-moon, glowing archway lined with long drapes of white fringe- a clever concept by Brockman who has mastered a tricky
technical element by allowing the actors the opportunity to interact and move through the set with ease but equally project images and frames for which they can appear online. Often actors would need to be on the exact mark with an ever-evolving video design (Daniel Herten and XantheDobbie) and they nailed it each and every time, an element of which would have taken such effort in a technical rehearsal to perfect.

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​Image by John McRae

Our story follows our protagonist Ria who is played by Shannen Alyce Quan with such honesty and heart. Ria is doing their best to keep up with a sassy and dominating online group of friends the Debunkers who smash conspiracy theories and live stream to their ever growing account of online followers. The book and lyrics are tickling in so many ways- quick quips, undeniable sarcasm and roasting with stunning patterns and rhymes. I was delighted by the soundtrack with strong poppy belting, femme rap solos and all executed with crisp diction and boss confidence.

 

Choreography by Fetu Taku was perhaps one of the highlights of the show and really allowed the cast to shine. Keeping the moves strong, punchy and cool, Taku gave each head flick and body roll the opportunity to showcase the incredibly talented and diverse cast. I found myself
shimmying and dancing in my seat. Ria soon meets Flick online, played with such an earnest sweetness by Manali Datar, and the pair begin to go through a cute and awkward social exchange of coming of age lesbian flirting. What Ria doesn’t realise is that Flick is a Flat Earther and lives in a bunker with her two mums: Lena Cruz as Ma Fiona and Amanda McGregor as Mum Freya. As is the case with a large amount of social media misinterpretations and snowballs, Ria gets caught up in a lie while trying to impress and engage in a dating scheme with Flick and slowly she is living a huge lie, gets dumped socially by the Debunkers and starts her own social account pretending to be a Flat Earther and gaining popularity and followers by capitalising on other impressionable groups who tend to go wherever the wind blows on fake news and troll the internet.

We soon learn that the growing popularity and attention on social media that Ria is gaining has got the attention of none other than the Illuminati leader herself Mz Prism- played exceptionally evilly by Michelle Brasier along with her slurpy loving cronies (the cast look like they’re having an absolute ball! And equally, us as the audience share the camp joy and craziness with delight!) 

Brasier is the ultimate villain, dressed exceptionally by Emma White (Costume Designer) in acid green corsetry, black glittered tights and a sense of the melodramatic. Brasier’s voice was incredibly powerful and she moved through her multiple characters like a chameleon throughout the show, bringing exceptional comic timing, maniacal laughter and magnetic presence.
 

The delightful plot twist is connecting the past between Flick’s Mums and Mz Prism’s history- in life before the two descended to the bunker and became Flat Earthers. The second act is a race against time and competing emotions and conspiracies and the audience prepares themselves for an Armageddon like no other! I was on the edge of my seat and clutching my belly with laughter. Showcasing lesbian love in such a way that had the audience clutching their hearts and beaming, as well as introducing polyamory and queer families- the characters are excellent representation in a show that is mainly camp and silly.  This show will make you belly laugh, connect and delight in young love and sapphic flirting and drop your jaw with impressive vocals.

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Flat Earthers: The Musical is a show you’d want to bring your friends to.  It has something for everyone in it and really does make a social commentary on how literal online trolls and conspiracy theorists can take fake news, how fast the news travels, how popularity can go up and down and that popularity and social status is power in an online world.

Run to the Hayes, see Flat Earthers: The Musical and prepare to leave beaming.​​

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