The Children’s Inquiry - Southwark Playhouse

I'll be there Monday and will report back. Looking forward to it and nice to see the nice notices

Caught up with the Children’s Inquiry at Southwark Playhouse today and I really enjoyed it. I hate to invoke the spirit of Hamilton when talking about contemporary musical theatre but this certainly has it's vibe. If you like your musicals bitingly political and soaked in pumping EDM, this is the show for you!

The Children’s Inquiry sees 4 main children in care explore the origins of the care system and how successive governments have attempted to "fix" it but ultimately made more problems. This is all told through verbatim songs with an thumpingly good electronic score. The first act musicalises each event that led to a change in the system e.g. serial killer baby farmers, abusive evacuee families etc. The second act explores the details of the failings over the last 25 years and how the system should really just be replaced at this point.

Context aside, this is such a fresh show with some fabulous saltire and poignant moments when real words are spoken by a child cast. I imagine "Oh What a Lovely War!" must of felt like this back in the 60s. It's current. It's urgent. And it knows what it wants to say. The direction by Lung is solid with exceptional lighting by Will Monks and some energetic choreography from Alexzandra Sarmiento of "42 Balloons" and "Babies" fame.

The cast of child actors are exceptional (like most child casts these days). I'm sure I recognise some of them from "The Witches" and the vocal harmonies are sublime here too. The talent is just heartwarming to see. The Fayth Ifil playing Jelicia today is particularly a star of tomorrow and seriously had better vocals then a lot of the West End. But there are no weak links here.

It needs trimming, it can drag in places. It's very full at the moment and I would like some breathing room. The songs you're unlikely to leave humming but they serve the piece very well in the moment (that's always the issue with verbatim musicals). The cast also lipsync to archive dialogue which only works some of time for me.

I would love to see this return and I think would fit in a small space at the National. In my opinion, this is a solid 4* with potential for more if it returns. Give it a go.