The Gardening Club: A New Musical Review
Written by Beth for Theatre and Tonic.
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review. All opinions are our own.
The Gardening Club: A New Musical is nothing short of fantastic. Written by Bella Wright and Carleigh McRitchie and starring themselves and other students and alumni of LIPA (Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts), I have no doubt this will not be the last we see of this brilliant show.
It's 1960, Georgia, USA. Six girls begin a gardening club as a cover up for a drug ring for the birth control pill. This pop-rock Musical is a taboo story about self discovery, shame and friendship.
Every member of the company shone brilliantly, adding their unique mannerisms and personalities to their characters. I particularly loved Lola Garlick's portrayal of the excitable but ultimately scared and lonely little sister Grace.
Other than a few moments of being unable to hear actors over the music, the songs were well developed, powerful and still a lot of fun. As a stand alone piece, this felt a little unfinished, with it stopping with a crucial decision needing to be made by our protagonist, however as an act one, as this is intended to eventually be, this works fabulously.
The Gardening Club: A New Musical is certainly one to catch while you can, and watch out for in the next year.
★ ★ ★ ★
