At the opening night of Group! The Musical – staged at the Lyric Theatre by the talented Belfast Ensemble – I had the pleasure of chatting to Executive Producer Andrew Hume before the performance got underway. He explained that to him, Group! has been one of the most fun productions he has worked on. With that in mind, I was intrigued about what was to unfold as I took my seat. The intrigue grew as audience members were welcomed into the theatre space with the orchestra onstage and someone moving through a catalogue of yoga poses. What was initially quite bewildering turned out to be the perfect opener for the show and what followed was one chaotic, colourful, loud, charismatic ride.
Group! tells the story of seven individuals who come together in a council-run group therapy setting. Over 15 weeks they have bonded over their shared experiences. Whilst not particularly friends, they know each other in a way no one else does. Their dynamic is tested when rules are broken to allow newcomer Amy to join their midst. What follows is an unravelling as each member experiences moments of self-realisation about what brought them to the group and the road that lies ahead of them.
Touching on pertinent themes such as the manosphere, rejection, obsession, love and loss, Group! has the potential to be emotionally heavy. However, it is expertly interspersed with humour and show-stopping musical numbers. As a result, this production was indeed a riot of fun.
Originally written in 2002 by Conor Mitchell, under the title Have A Nice Life, this musical theatre comedy has been revisited, updated and made to proudly celebrate all things Belfast: from the history of the city to its humour, the characters it has forged to its unmistakable accent. What makes it so appealing is that for the first time, this staging has a completely local cast. And what a cast it is. The Belfast Ensemble is a talented troop. The band delivered big numbers that made the whole production fizz and pop with energy. The cast each delivered memorable performances which perfectly balanced seriousness with levity. Emmet, the in-training therapist, played by Darren Franklin, quest for professionalism often misses the mark. There was a physicality to Franklin’s performance that added an extra layer to the performance and the overall humour of the production. Each character is refreshingly individual, from Rosie Barry’s Jean, whose tough exterior cracks to reveal a bruised heart, to the mischievous Barbara (played by Carol Moore) who has epic comedic timing whilst the purple streak in her hair and the glint in her eye made her incredibly watchable. Matthew Cavan’s incarnation of Chris is the ultimate example of not judging a book by its cover. And his ability to convey so much through his facial expression created a rich thread of comedy that not everyone would have been able to capture. Newcomer Amy was truly fascinating thanks to a controlled and subtle performance by Brigid Shine, whilst the heavily pregnant Jackie brings oodles of drama thanks to a remarkably energetic performance by Colette Lennon Dougal. The final member of our motley crew is Frank, played by Adam Dougal, who gives a truly nuanced performance as he peels back the layers of who Frank really is.
You can’t talk about Group! without mentioning the musical numbers. Written by the insanely talented Conor Mitchell, the songs are, in his words, “meant to honour the great American Songbook”. The songs vary in style but not quality. They are powerful and rousing and show the full range of talent rife throughout the Belfast Ensemble. There is not one stand out hit as they are all so remarkable, and incredibly catchy. Lines of ‘Hate Mail’ have been running through my head since I left the theatre.
Staged as part of the Lyric 75th anniversary, Group! celebrates flawed, real people. As Conor Mitchell mentioned at the show’s close, when life can be such a scary place, we need a reminder that there are good souls out there who don’t want to destroy the world and watch it burn. They want to make it, and themselves, better. Original, creative, full of personality, laughs, and spirit, this is one Group I would love to be part of.
Group! The Musical runs at the Lyric Theatre until 4 April. For more information or to book tickets, visit: lyrictheatre.co.uk
