Eugenius!, the musical written by Ben Adams and Chris Wilkins, invites the audience into the imaginative world of comic book fanatic Eugene. With the help of his two best friends, Eugene reaches new heights in his storytelling career. He is rushed out of high school to create a Hollywood superhero blockbuster. During his adventure, Eugene learns some valuable life lessons, like there is no obstacle too great to cross and it is important to be comfortable in your own skin.
The inspirational story is accompanied by a beautifully composed serenade to the 80s with an original musical score full of earworms. The lighting and set design by Andrew Exeter simply brings the story to life through effective background changes, as Eugene turns his life around from being a misunderstood schoolboy to a Hollywood movie writer.
Eugene is effortlessly played by Elliott Evans, who naturally personifies the character’s growth in confidence throughout the production. He especially draws the audience in during the song “Comic Book Kind of Love”, where the performer shows an impressive range both vocally and dramatically.
Eugene’s friends play a pivotal role in the musical and help him to stand up to obstacles in his way. Jaina Brock-Patel flawlessly played Janey, a high school girl full of confidence. Jaina wowed the audience with her knock-out performance during “The Future’s Bright”, displaying an excellent ability to deliver jaw-dropping notes with pure emotion. Eugene’s other friend Feris played by James Hameed is full of energy and has a great sense of comic timing. The actor bursts onto the stage from “Who’s that guy?” and shows off his great talent of making the crowd laugh while being in awe of his lyrical vocal tone.
The musical will have the audience dancing in their seats and humming the music all the way home. It is an ode to comic books and sci-fans but there are messages that will resonate with everyone. Whether or not audience members have found confidence in themselves, the whole company does a fantastic job to make them leave with a smile.
It runs until 28 May.
Review: Ramsey Baghdadi Photo: Pamela Raith