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Somewhere that's green: Potty the Plant at Wiltons Music Hall

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"I'm Potty the Plant," sings a potted plant in this odd little fringe concept of a show. It's hard not to get the tune out of your head, even if the show is brief. It's an earworm for a show that features a worm-like plant as a puppet. And given the show's brevity, running at only an hour, it's hard to get too annoyed by a lack of a coherent story, even if it still seems like the show could use a bit more development (which is underway). It has made its London debut at Wilton's Music Hall. The premise is that Potty, the plant, lives in the hospital office of Dr Acula (geddit?) and dreams of a life with the cleaning lady Miss Lacey (Lucy Appleton). But Dr Acula might be responsible for why all these children are disappearing while trying to romance Miss Lacey for her family's money that she doesn't have. Three nurses are on the case, trying to solve the mystery.  If the show settled on a convincing plot, location and set of characters, it could ...

Streaming immorality: Is He Musical?


To coincide with LGBT history month, a digital stream of 'Is He Musical?' is available to stream. A new short musical by Jude Taylor, it covers the secret life of queer friends who partied in 1930s London and is available to stream now until 6 March.

Just like the other phrase, "friend of Dorothy," "Is he musical?" is code. After all, it's from a time when the police could arrest you some vaguely defined immorality. The piece doesn't explore why being musical is code for being gay or queer, but a response on Quora from a straight ex-military musical loving man is as good an explanation as any. The respondent suggests that musicals emphasise emotions, which parallels gay men who stereotypically live a flamboyant life.  

So with that in mind, the piece is set in London's West End in the 1930s. Lawrence (Barry O'Reilly) arrives on the scene and befriends Wilfred (Teddy Hinde). But the parties and self-indulgent lifestyles can't hide the differences that still exist.

It's hard to be too critical on a piece that has come to life in a year and was due to open at the Vault Festivals earlier this year until the thought of theatrical events staged in airless railway arches during an Omicron outbreak put paid to that. So instead, we have a semi-staged live stream, which previously had a short run at The Other Palace. 

Viewing it as a first draft, it would be great to see the piece make more of the relentless sunniness of Lawrence and the deadpan realness of Wilfred. A put down or two, dry sarcasm, the occasional slap. All would help explain this unlikely friendship. 

There's a story there. It just needs a bit more bitterness and a bit more bite. Directed by Matt Powell, Is He Musical is available to stream until 6 March.



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