Unlike its title, the production of Be More Chill by SUPAS was vivacious and animated. The director, Alice Bell, delivers a stellar musical comedy which accurately illustrates the epidemic of the current generation. It is no wonder that this version, by Joe Iconis, was whisked into the forefront as the poster Gen-Z experience.
Perhaps what made SUPAS’ performance so convincing was the casts’ likely not-too-distant teenage experiences channeled into their acting. The musical centres on the protagonist, Jeremy Heere, played by Jamie Stephens, – who was phenomenal – a nerdy geek with few friends; he checked off every requirement needed as the classic American high school nerd who gets shoved into lockers. Stephens captured the nuance of the character completely, administering all the right vocal quivers and dismal body language whenever appropriate. Once Jeremy swallowed the magic matrix-esque supercomputer (the SQUIP) which promised to make him cool, his demeanour changed drastically. A level of chic only possible when adorning a luminous leather jacket and futuristic sunglasses.
Michael Mell, who was once the biggest advocate for Jeremy becoming cool, went from best and only friend to invisible and forgotten the moment Jeremy swallowed the supercomputer. Esther Scourse gave us a compelling performance of the best friend who is no more. The synergy between the two had you forgetting that it was an act at all. It was a joy to witness the actors bounce off each other so naturally.
The musical explores a human condition specific to the post-internet generation. As a watcher who still remembers their high school years vividly, it was a little painful and had me shrinking in my seat every time there was a teenager-y exasperation. Jam-packed with self-deprecating humour, I found the musical relatable. Almost too relatable. Painfully relatable. Jess Aldersley, who plays Jeremy’s love interest (Christine Canigula), is a manic pixie dream girl; she was as endearing as she was quirky, honest, and free. Furthermore, the limerence that comes with having a crush was painted perfectly with the band and the complete stand-still of characters whenever Christine was in view. Aldersley expertly conveyed the quirks about Christine which enamoured Jeremy, so potently that it exacerbated the poignancy of Jeremy who was unable to see the value of preserving that quality within himself.
There is a didactic nature to this musical, particularly for those who were raised with the ubiquity of the internet (where everyone else’s thoughts and words are inescapable). Within the audience, we shared this dramatic irony watching these high school characters who felt every misstep was the end of the world, who collapsed onto their knees because of a minor obstacle. Yet we knew, as people who survived the torturous teens, everything would turn out fine. We were once in their position and wrestled with the same anxieties. The musical weaponised cliches to create social commentary on what are essentially first world worries. From beginning to end, SUPAS created an experience that was universal, relatable and enjoyable.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Be More Chill played from November 28th until November 30th at the University of Sheffield Drama Studio
