Review: The Parent Agency at Storyhouse ****
Musical theatre is no stranger to a precocious protagonist – think little orphan Annie or, in more recent years, Tim Minchin’s Matilda.
But Billy Elliot aside, there’s been a lack of corresponding male characters to complement these gutsy girls.
Step forward Barry Bennett, the young subject of David Baddiel’s best-selling children’s book The Parent Agency, and now the hero of this cheery new musical penned by its author and which is currently receiving its world premiere at Chester’s Storyhouse in front of audiences of all ages.
Soon to be 11-year-old Barry isn’t happy. At all. His grievances, spelt out in the show’s infectious opening number, are many, and despite his fractious relationship with his two social media-obsessed big sisters his list is entirely comprised of what is wrong with his mum and dad Susan and Geoff.
They’re boring, too strict, are always tired and never buy him the latest cool stuff, and all in all he wishes he had a better pair of parents, with unexpected results.
Baddiel’s wish fulfilment story treads a fantastical Wizard of Oz-style path (with hints of Life on Mars, Willy Wonka and a nod in the direction of James Bond), with Barry finding himself propelled into a parallel universe – the United Kid-dom – where children get to choose their own families through the matchmaking ministrations of the titular Parent Agency.
Pitched against the clock for unexplained reasons, Barry is matched with a succession of hopefuls who all have opposite attributes to dull old Susan and Geoff and who audition in turn to be his new mum and dad.
Above: Rebecca McKinnis and Rakesh Boury as celebrity couple 'Vlassorina'. Top: Max Bispham (Barry) and Kazmin Borrer, Alan Vicary and Natasha Cayabyab in The Parent Agency. Photos supplied by the production.
Four young actors are sharing the demanding central role (Barry is never off stage during the show) over the production’s two-and-a-half week run, as well as taking it in turns to play the mysterious ‘Boy’ he encounters in the Parent Agency’s room 10.
The honours on a special gala night went to Max Bispham who, despite his still tender years, already has an impressive acting CV.
He also has plenty of confidence, more than holding his own among the show’s adult cast while delivering a well-pitched performance with comic assurance as the initially cocky, brattish youngster who navigates his way both through a weird world and what becomes a valuable life lesson.
Fellow ‘Barry’ Louis Wilkins meanwhile appeared as the Boy, waiting patiently to find both his perfect parents and a proper name, with a wistfulness and palpable sense of vulnerability.
Rebecca McKinnis and Rakesh Boury are kept just as busy playing not only Susan and Geoff but also every eccentric and cartoon-esque iteration of their alternative parental selves including a ghastly pair of minted gentry types, fitness fanatics, far out (man) mung bean-munching hippies – the no-rule Cools, and a deliciously vapid celebrity couple. Ouch!
Above: Max Bispham as Barry in The Parent Agency. Photo supplied by the production.
In fact, the entire cast are on point, including Alan Vicary who doubles as Barry’s Grandpa and the exasperated head of the Parent Agency, and Kazmin Borrer and Natasha Cayabyab who morph from annoying Bennett sisters into hoverboard-riding, futuristic agency secretaries.
Behind the scenes, the buoyant soundtrack comes from The Feeling’s Dan Gillespie Sells – in a fruitful compositional partnership with Baddiel who provides both witty and heartfelt lyrics; there’s bright, energetic – occasionally frenetic - choreography courtesy of Carrie-Anne Ingrouille (the choreographer of SIX the Musical) and equally bright, occasionally frenetic, direction from Tim Jackson who steers the show on an ebullient course.
It’s all played out on Jon Bausor’s bold, primary-coloured set and with the help of a series of props which swirl on and off as the plot progresses.
Colourful, fizzing with joie de vivre and with a selection of catchy tunes – albeit the sole song that really sticks in the brain on the way home is the opening number Barry, The Parent Agency has plenty to recommend it and certainly deserves a life beyond this initial Storyhouse run.