Emerging to the pulsing sound of a heartbeat, V.I.P. appear on stage and burst into energetic song. Lots of synchronized singing and dancing, punk rock riffs and enthusiasm. This young comedy group are definitely skilled musicians and performers, but they’ve still got some work to do to integrate those skills with their comedy.
Each member of V.I.P. is assigned a distinct personality: Vanity, Insanity and Profanity. This emphasis on creating characters seems a common theme amongst young ensemble shows, and can get in the way of letting performers express themselves properly – especially when they have yet to fully develop the acting and improvisational skills necessary for natural character development. Despite some awkward interactions, there are some good uses of these characters, especially Insanity, as the show progresses.
It’s an easy trap for musical comedians to drag out simple observations and one-liners into three minute songs, and a fair proportion of V.I.P.’s fall into this category. Which is a pity, as there’s definitely a fair bit of comedic skill here that is getting diluted by trying to fill the 3 minute song format. Some of their best laughs come from little one or two line ditties between the longer songs. The potential for good musical comedy is here though, as shown on standout tracks such as “Imaginary Friend”, which managed to rise up and deliver a more consistent laugh. Some songs also suffered due to the fact the lyrics were sometimes overwhelmed by the sound of the electric guitar.
V.I.P. show a promise that’s not fully realised here. If they manage to stick it out and further develop their skills as individual comedians, they’ve definitely got the passion and the supporting skills to really entertain an audience.