REVIEW | RuneSical, Gigglemug Comedy (Online)
Written by Penny.
RuneSical is an interactive parody musical based on the popular online game Runescape. You don’t have to be a fan of MMORPGs (Massively multiplayer online role playing games, obviously!) in order to enjoy it but I’m sure there is an extra level of fun for fans of the genre. As a “noob” to the role playing experience, I didn’t have any problem at all immersing myself in the world created by the Gigglemug theatre company.
The show has enjoyed successful runs at the Edinburgh Fringe, in Cambridge, and in London. It’s now available to watch online. I have to admit that, although streamed shows were a godsend during COVID lockdowns, I am not a huge fan of watching theatrical performances on screen, they generally don’t hold my attention in the way a live experience can. But RuneSical gets past this potential barrier by having the online audience choose their own adventure, just as you would do in online gaming – thus ensuring that we are fully engaged with what is going on and paying attention for fear of making a bad choice. There’s a little bit of participation with the audience at the recording but the viewer at home is making the big decisions.
The show opens with a Hamilton-esque rap that quickly explains the concept of role-playing games, and then introduces our hero, with the familiar refrain, “What’s your name?”
It’s Lance_054 (he didn’t start playing early enough to secure Lance_001 through to Lance_0053).
Excellently played by Christian Maynard, Lance is an upbeat and likeable character with strong singing throughout. He’s supported by a very good ensemble cast who manage to poke gentle fun at the role playing world without ever disrespecting it. We are guided by a Wizard, played by Gigglemug’s Artistic Director Sam Cochrane, who also wrote and directed the piece with Alex Prescot. Cochrane is vital to keeping the action going and the audience engaged and he’s great fun to watch.
As the show progresses, we meet a range of familiar characters from online gaming stereotypes – from a drunken gnome (played with excellent comic timing by Lydia Barton Lovett) to a jobsworth pop-up offering in-game assistance (Prescot). Once we’ve been through the compulsory tutorial and get into the game proper, a battle to the death becomes a comedy dance-off and there’s an unexpected twist that very effectively brings a bit of real world emotion into what is otherwise a high tempo romp.
As I watched the show, I enjoyed the songs but didn’t feel that they were particularly memorable. Some of the faster-paced lyrics didn’t come across as clearly as I would have liked and I lost a few lines (subtitles are available so this isn’t an insurmountable problem), but generally, the music was delivered with great energy and commitment, and with simple but effective choreography. The finale offered a medley of songs from the show, and I found my foot was tapping and I was humming along, always a good sign.
Having enjoyed my first RuneSical experience, I am very tempted to play again and see where different choices take the story. I’d highly recommend it for musical theatre loving novice gamers or experienced dragon slayers – it’s a really fun way to spend an hour or so online.
You can watch RuneSical on YouTube.
Find out more about RuneSical and Gigglemug here.
★ ★ ★ ★
