Book by Grace Caroline Curley 

Music and Lyrics by Paul Richard Keegan

Review by Esme Hallworth

Other Yin at Gilded Balloon Patter House

Schitt’s Creek stans will not go home hungry. All the way from Connecticut, Sacred Heart University deliver a jubilant musical parody of the fan-favourite. Millionaire family the ‘Peony’s’ have been stripped of everything except the deed to a small-town in Canada. Barely finding their feet and grasping at the withering straws of icon-hood, Alexis, David and Moira compete to become gay icons and a marshal at the Crapp’s River Bicentennial Parade. The hour is filled with apparitions from well-loved gay icons serving as mentors to each candidate, from Freddie Mecury, Paris Hilton to an army of Jennifer Coolidges. Competition and campaigns follow in attempt to win over the hearts of their neighbours.

Moira’s are no small heeled boots to fill, though Grace Anderson stepped into them with all the stupendous decorum and gorgeously dramatic intonation changes, leading to systematic laughter and nodding of heads in approval from keen fans. Alexis, played by Nora Delehanty was her spitting image, uncanny from the very side smirk to the way she held her hands, she was more than just ‘a little bit Alexis’. Jonny, played by Nolan Young, is a strong foil to the sassing of his wife and children, with speak-easy smooth vocals and a slow nasal voice that makes you double take that Eugène Levy hasn’t snuck on stage to replace him. David Irizarry was our diva David, if not a touch more forgiving, and Stevie was beautifully deadpan and be-flannelled.

Costume as well as characterisation were no pale imitations of the original, leaving you wondering if they’d raided the Schitt’s Creek set itself to achieve such a likeness. Save one glitzy green LBD a touch too uncouth for Moira and Roland’s incongruous crystal white Nike trainers, everything was superfan-certified accurate down to the very ring on David’s necklace. No effort was spared and no effort was in vain. In between scenes to distract from set changes, virtual visitations from gay icons appeared on the projector screen which added a slight clunk to the momentum. Nevertheless, the choreography was sharp and the cast’s movement used the full extent of the stage which made for a dynamic and fast-passing hour. This is an example of a very capable cast who have done their research; an unmissable itch-scratcher for Schitt’s Creek devotees to get their fix with a musical twist.

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