It started at Theatre 503 and has now come up in a one act form to the Fringe so the question has to be asked, could Terrorist! - The Musical be the new Jerry Springer - The Opera?
There is certainly something very exciting locked inside the potential of this piece. America has won the war on terror and some of the world’s most feared terrorist have been forced to form a circus troupe to make ends meet. Then Pope George Bush bans light entertainment and the reformed killers must take arms once more.
The musical numbers are well-crafted - of particular note is Jessica Beck as Patty Hearst singing a folk number about her ordeal and a Jewish-sounding face-off between Israeli Menachem Begin and Palestinian terrorist Leila Khaled.
This song occasionally makes uncomfortable listening. The interchange between the two characters seems unintentionally - presumably - anti-Semitic. Gary Faulkner telling racist jokes as far right London bomber David Copeland was also hard to listen to, but a worthwhile gamble given the context of the scene.
An influential producer needs to see this show. There is potential to develop it further. Could it be the next Jerry Springer - The Opera?. Probably not but it deserves a bigger and longer hearing than three weeks at the Fringe.
Production information can change over the run of the show.
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