Jet, Set Go! Flies High at the Fringe

Currently taking off at the Edinburgh Fringe's intimate George Square 2 venue is a new British musical, Jet, Set Go!, by Pippa Cleary and Jake Brunger, directed by Luke Sheppard. For 75 minutes audiences are treated to a hugely enjoyable feast of humour and catchy tunes as this "cabin crew musical" takes them on a return flight between London Heathrow and JFK New York, spying on the lives of the aircraft's crew both during the flights and on their brief stay in the Big Apple.

The show lays bare all the cliches that will be familiar to anyone who has ever flown across the Atlantic but at no point does it ever appear cliched, mainly due to Jake Brunger's cleverly balanced Book, which is tight, evenly paced, witty and delicately poignant at the right moments. And Brunger's lyrics sit perfectly upon Pippa Cleary's vibrant and melodic score. A great selection of upbeat ensemble numbers are complemented by some great softer moments (including a beautiful and touching song sung by a young gay steward naively and heartbreakingly searching for love) and by a show-stopping, hysterically raunchy number performed by a gregarious stewardess from the Welsh valleys!

The quality of the writing is superbly matched by Luke Shepard's energetic yet perfectly poised staging and by an octet of great performances by the show's hugely talented young cast who totally engage the audience from the second they are welcomed on board the "flight" right up to when the final musical notes come in to land.

Jet, Set Go! achieves the feat of being lighthearted and entertaining while also remaining intelligent throughout and is certainly one of the genuine gems of this year's musical theatre fare at the Fringe.