A Strange Loop - Barbican

A friend convinced me to see yesterday’s matinee, and I’m so glad I did! I knew very little going in, but was highly impressed by the show. It’s a kind of bold and unapologetic writing that we don’t see very often. A very brave choice to put it in the Barbican for 12 weeks!

I saw a final performance as my first encounter with the piece. As a non-native English speaker, I had some trouble understanding everything due to the accents, slang, and fast-paced lyrics and it probably affected why I was not too emotional about it. However, I think it was one of the most original and fresh musicals I've seen in a long time and I really liked it! The music is beautiful and I can't wait to see what's next for Michael R. Jackson (although I've heard something from his new musical and unfortunately it feels like A Stange Loop's b-side as of now).

I wonder if it was not as specific in who's portrayed on the stage and instead was talking about some more "universal" person, it would be more successful commercially. It's a great piece of modern theatre and it's super clear why it was so loved by the critics, but also it's understandable why people find it hard to relate and, therefore, love it. The story is staged beautifully, choreo and humor are top-notch, melodies are exceptional, so it's a shame that it's more commonly loved by the fans of musical theatre. Part of its appeal comes from it being raw and bold, but it's probably too much for a regular theatre-goer.

4/5 from me, I wish I could get more into the story and understand it fully when watching this. The cast really gave it all for that final night!