Pied Piper – Battersea Arts Centre, London

Written, Composer, and Musical Director: Conrad Murray

Directors: Conrad Murray and Ria Parry

There may be a risk that the description of Battersea Arts Centre’s Beatbox Academy’s show will put people off before they even consider it. Musicals get a hard time anyway from some people, and then considering this one is done in a hip-hop style with the only sounds being those created by the performers’ mouths there’s a lot for people to raise an eyebrow at. But anyone disregarding Pied Piper from the description alone would be a fool.

Ok, it’s a fairy story and the slightly silly, madcap vibe with the performers giving off strong kids TV presenter energy is likely aimed at families and kids more than adults. Musically, however, there’s more than enough for the grown-ups to feel confident coming here and having a good time anyway. We all know the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. In this retelling, the mayor of the rat-infested town is a local piemaking magnate, a fan of child labour and a rotten snob. After his rebellious workers sabotage his chances of victory at the prestigious piemaking championships, he vows to eradicate the rats from the town once and for all. With the problem solved, he naturally declines to pay what he owes so the piper takes the town’s kids, lured by richly developed songs and beats rather than the traditional wind instrument.

In an effort to make a bit more of the story, they’ve included two narrative lines for support. One is a sweet focus on the mayor’s daughter who wants to be included in the other worker’s music group and make some genuine friends, the other is a rally against those who take advantage of child labour, squeeze wages, and preside over bad working and living conditions.

It all doesn’t quite come off perfectly. The daughter’s story, when it crops up, feels tangential and a little distracting. The songs that it enables (and the singing from Kate Donnachie as the daughter) are some of the best music in the show though, so it balances out. Alongside Donnachie, standout singing comes in from Aziza Amira Brown as one of the factory workers and the vocal versatility of Alex Hardie is mesmerising at times. Group efforts such as with the number A Rat Will Eat Anything are so full of sound and inventiveness that it’s a shame they have to end.

Aside from the cast members, there’s a handful of young people from the community, part of the Beatbox Academy, ranging in age from those in single digits to late teens and twenties that come on as the kids of Hamelin. Some are clearly born performers, dancing, rapping and beatboxing with unbelievable comfort and confidence alongside the show leaders.

The story feels a little slow in parts, despite the cracking musicality. But it’s never not interesting or absorbing. Not to be too clinical, but perhaps the reason it connects so well to the audience could be because the performances are coming from a hip-hop and beatboxing hinterland, rather than a strict musical theatre tradition. Those creators onstage are MCs, singers, dancers and beatboxers and that sort of gig mentality so important to those disciplines, where audience feedback and interaction throughout a show is an essential part of the performance, really comes through.

A great show to come and witness, no matter what your past feelings are about musicals or beatboxing. For anyone who actively winces at considering audience participation at the theatre, you can rest easy, you’ll be in good hands here.

Runs until 28 October 2023