Presented by Happy Sad Productions

Review by Hunter King

Sanctuary at Paradise in Augustines

It is no wonder that Moving On: A New Musical won the Derek Award for the “Spirit of the Fringe,” not only for the amount of ghosts haunting the stage, but for the immaculate new writing by Roza Stevenson, Amber Docherty, and Josh Wood. The show is full of life, taking traditional musical theatre structures and applying them to a silly ghost story that is both hilarious and at times heartwarming.

Moving On sees three siblings take on a job with their moving company to remove all of the belongings of a woman who has recently died from her new house. The whole affair is organized by Robin (Robyn Yarwood), the middle child and most responsible of the group. She is joined by her older sibling Sam (Bo Gourley), and younger brother Davie (Benji Gibbs), both of whom have dreams to leave the family business to find something better in life, but can’t find the strength to tell their sister who they deem to be too controlling. Upon arrival at the house, they quickly find out that this situation was more than they had bargained for when they see the house is haunted by spirits that are mostly ambivalent, and one seemingly malevolent spirit named Geoffrey (Sandy Bishop).

While the siblings hold down the story, the ghosts hold the spirit of the story with larger than (after)life characters. Jack Mailer plays DJ, a ghost of a vaguely Eastern European DJ who used to have secret raves at the house. Mailer has the strongest physical comedy of the performers, truly embodying DJ in a way that feels the perfect level of heightened, like a cartoon character. Meanwhile, Maggie Goodall plays Hattie, a Marilyn Monroe-esque ghostly socialite with bravado and proper flair. Iona Wood rounds out the cast as the quietly warm Miss Crustwell, who shares a duet with Robin, that both Wood and Yarwood handle with care, just as the title of the song suggests. Wood also shares a duet with Bishop, that allows for Bishop’s voice to shine and show a more tender side to the character, after a malevolent act one.

The music is suitably fitting for the show, even if at times feeling as if some of the songs were written and then inserted into the musical where they could best fit. This isn’t ever distracting though, as the tunes are easy earworms. Josh Wood’s writing is clever, especially in Gibbs’ solo “Look How Many Musicals I Can Name” where the music shifts in and out of references from preestablished musicals as Davie dreams of being on Broadway. Gibbs handles the fast paced number well, properly focusing the humour where it is needed and belting the final note in a vocally impressive moment. While any of the cast could be recognized for their vocals, it is no surprise that Yarwood took home the Derek award for vocalist of the Fringe. Her clear tone is strong, fitting for her grounded characterization of Robin, and easy to listen to.

Moving On is not only a fun night at the theatre, but a triumph and proof that local independent new theatre is not only worth your time, but can hold a candle to preestablished works. While their run at the Fringe is nearing an end, this show has so much potential to continue, grow, and expand. Stevenson, Docherty, and Wood have shown that a dedication and love for the craft has real world impact, and they are certainly names that will continue to thrive in the Edinburgh community and (in the great) beyond.

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