EDINBURGH 2023: Review: PUBLIC- THE MUSICAL, Pleasance

Public- the Musical is a new musical set in a gender-neutral toilet. In a public park, four very different people find themselves trapped by a broken door. 

Finley (Hugo Rolland) goes straight into panic mode on discovering the door won’t open. Laura (Alicia Corrales) and Zo (Annabel Marlow) try and open the door with no luck and Andrew (Andrew Patrick-Walker), a real “man’s man” tries brute force to no avail. 

Laura is practical and calls someone to come and get them out and is told they’ll be there in an hour. Zo, dressed as a bumblebee was on her way to a protest about pesticides and notices that her phone is out of battery and she can’t update her Instagram followers who think she’s bailed on the protest. Trying to create a connection with the others, Zo suggests they introduce themselves with their names and pronouns. This stumps Andrew who shrugs and says “I’m a bloke”. 

The script can be a little lacking at times but there’s some great stuff in here and the vocal talent onstage is excellent. They all have a backstory that comes out over the duration of the show. Zo is an activist who is making such a big deal over Andrew not getting Laura’s pronouns right she gets their actual name wrong every single time. She’s extremely privileged and accidentally admits that she doesn’t have a job and doesn’t have to pay rent. A parody of Gen Z, she goes on about climate change yet uses a disposable vape. 

The songs vary in quality but the quality of performance makes up for the ones that are a bit weaker. The show covers a range of topics from toxic masculinity, gender and sexuality spectrums, mental health and they are dealt with sensitivity and care.

It’s not perfect but its a lot of fun and the cast are brilliant, making this a promising new musical. 

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