The Shocking Truth About Flat Earth | The Cockpit Theatre

The Shocking Truth About Flat Earth is a workshop presentation of an original musical created by Alex Moneypenny (book and lyrics) and Adam Tuffrey (music and lyrics). The musical comedy is a light hearted and fun-filled show with catchy songs and a premise that is so crazy, that it works.

The musical follows Sharon (Jenna Boyd), a middle aged woman who's feeling stuck in her routine and life. Sharon comes across the Flat Earth theory online and in a moment of pure luck, she finds that she is staying at a hotel whilst a Flat Earth conference is taking place. Through a series of hilarious moments of confusion, Sharon is introduced as Angela, a Flat Earth influencer, and accidentally agrees to lead a mission to prove that the Earth is indeed flat by travelling to Antarctica. Joining her are two younger Flat Earth believers from America called Bobby (Tom Dickerson) and Brody (Vivian Panka). As they travel to Antarctica, they find that following your belief isn't quite as straightforward as one would think. Especially when the truth is haunting you. 

The musical, to put it simply, is utterly bonkers. The tone is drenched in silliness as it strives to make audiences laugh aloud at every scene. The characters are each quirky and dramatic, creating a hilarious and memorable ensemble. The characters have enough heart to make them relatable, whilst also encouraging audiences to laugh both with and at them. The musical knows exactly what it's set itself up to be, and deliberately drops into its wild side, by always prioritising getting the biggest audience laughs. The book's main premise is hilarious and far fetched on its own and yet enjoyable a bizarre subplot is interwoven.

The musical, for all its fun and games, merits its biggest win by proving that it's got a beating heart at its core. Many friendships reverberate throughout the piece, ultimately rendering the show as a wholesome watch. Although the topic of Flat Earth is often approached with satirical tone, drawing some of the biggest laughs, it ultimately becomes an intangible emblem for one's belief. This lends the musical an impactful overall effect, as it speaks volumes about empathy, acceptance and understanding. The Shocking Truth About Flat Earth, amusingly, becomes a safe space for audiences to let loose and believe in the unbelievable. 

Although advertised as a workshop presentation, the musical already feels fairly polished at this stage. With choreography, props and even the occasional costume, this production, with a little more fine tuning, is ready to go. 

The cast do a splendid job at bringing out the whacky and larger than life characters, whilst injecting a level of sincerity into the performances. Reuben Khan is hilarious and energetic in the rare moments that he's on stage, whilst Alex Cardall is charming as Doug Earth, with all the sleaze and vanity that makes him such a charismatic host. Cardall showcases his gorgeous vocals in a (sadly) brief moment in the second act.

Golding demonstrates his versatility as a performer, splitting the roles of Dave and Amos. As the former, the moments of unrestrained fear and his selfish nature really leave a lasting impression. As Amos, Golding is endearing and sweet, becoming perhaps the most grounded and wise character with a warmth that washes over the audience as well. Emily Harrigan as Angela leans more into the unhinged, with a frantic approach to the role. Harrigan commands the stage well as she oozes confidence, becoming an unpredictable force onstage.

Emma Thornett threatens to steal the show as Debrah, Sharon's best friend. Working as a disgruntled lollipop lady at a school, Thornett's ability for storytelling transforms a simple rant about parents into a thrilling tale. Thornett is hilarious, with some of the show's best comedic lines, yet she makes them her own by emphasising every line with her own sarcastic facial expressions. Thornett quickly establishes herself as the second protagonist, bringing laughter, sarcasm and sass with her. 

Dickerson and Panka are a delightful comedic duo, who bring so much cheer and joy. The duo bring a much needed wave of positivity to the play with their optimistic outlook, love for showtunes, strong naive beliefs and supportive nature, which makes them both so lovable. Dickerson and Panka are given the best one-liners and their energy is infectious. Dickerson in particularly gives the role 200%, going above and beyond in every scene; stealing focus with his natural gift for comedy. 

Boyd brings a lot of heart to the role, with a moving performance as she struggles to understand why she feels so lost, and her desperation to feel significant again. Boyd's sincere performance is well contrasted by the array of characters around her and allows audiences to root for her from the very start. Boyd's moral compass and very British traits, allows her to develop her own moments of comedy. 

Tuffrey and Moneypenny's music draws on the many references made by characters during the show, which is both clever and satisfying to see the pay off. Sharon's musical motif that echoes throughout and is reprised is a homage to Adele, creating a gorgeous melody that instantly makes one emotional. The songs are catchy, with the title song becoming so much of an earworm, the musical makes its own little meta jab at it. The lyrics are witty, with some clever rhyme, and the music is peppy and creates moments of beautiful choreography. The show's strongest song is Sharon's solo, where the stark difference in tonality to the rest of the score makes it stand out even more. Boyd's powerful vocals are used well here, creating a moment with real gravitas.

The Cockpit Theatre functions in the round, allowing for the cast to constantly disappear and reappear (although for this show audiences are only sat on three side). Scene transitions are slick and audiences are left guessing which corner the performers may emerge from. Costumes and props are minimal, used more for comedic effect than for a scene realisation.

Tanesha Bannerman-Williams' choreography helps audiences envision a full production of the musical. Bannerman-Williams' choreography allows for the cast to use the whole stage space, often with overlapping movements from multiple characters. Notably Dickerson and Panka's smaller sections of random song and dance are fun and peppy.

The Shocking Truth About Flat Earth is original and ultimately a feel good musical that encourages audiences to embrace their whimsy and love and believe unconditionally. A musical that is already in fine form, audiences can only hope there's a future for this show. 

★★★★☆ (4*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review