REVIEW: Gutenberg! The Musical! - Second Beat Productions, PIP Theatre

Production: Gutenberg! The Musical!

Book, Music and Lyrics: Anthony King and Scott Brown

Produced by: Second Beat Productions and PIP Theatre

Directors: Liam J.K and Daniel Kirkby

Musical Director: Rae Rose

Chief Designers: Liam J.K and Brigitte Bennet

Lighting: Noah Milne

“What’s the difference between a wine press and a printing press? One makes you drink. The other makes you think.”

I am not entirely sure that Gutenberg! The Musical! taught me anything reliable about Johann Gutenberg, medieval Germany, or the invention of the printing press. I did, however, leave with a comprehensive understanding of musical theatre clichés! Produced by Second Beat Productions and PIP Theatre, this Brisbane staging is directed by Liam J.K and Daniel Kirkby, with musical direction by Rae Rose. J.K takes on Bud alongside Kirkby as Doug, with Rose appearing as their pianist, Charlie. William Kasper also appears as Bud at alternate performances.

Written by the hilarious creators of Beetlejuice, Anthony King and Scott Brown, Gutenberg! The Musical! is a musical spoof about Bud and Doug, two aspiring writers pitching their epic historical musical to a room full of potential backers. Their show tells the story of Johann Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press, as he attempts to bring literacy to the miserable medieval town of Schlimmer (which is German for “worse”). Standing in his way is an evil monk who fears that reading will weaken his control over the townsfolk and reveal his fibs about what the Bible says.

Since this is just a workshop, Bud and Doug cannot afford a complete cast, costumes, sets, orchestra, or anything else necessary for staging a Broadway musical. So, they play every character themselves, using baseball caps with names like “Helvetica,” "Rat," and “Drunk” to switch roles. It's a remarkably efficient system. Hat on: new character. Hat off: writer explaining the previous or upcoming scene to us as though we are five years old. The humour is knowingly non-PC, and some of the funniest bits come from exposing the formulas in so-called “original” musicals.

I think the best way to see Gutenberg! The Musical! is to know as little as possible and let Bud and Doug explain it to you in real time. They desperately want to! The show breaks the fourth wall immediately, pausing to define theatre lingo, justify their creative choices, and clarify symbolism that requires no explanation whatsoever. They might not be accomplished historians, but they sure are dedicated teachers.

We are asked to imagine Schlimmer, a medieval German town where nobody can read or write. We meet the entire population during the opening number, which is an impressive feat since it’s just two people running around swapping hats. The town is populated by familiar theatre characters: the illiterate love interest Helvetica (yes, like the font), a villainous religious figure, assorted peasants (including a Nazi flower girl), and Gutenberg himself, who speaks with an all-American bravado.

Liam J.K brings strong Josh Gad qualities to Bud, which makes sense considering Gad originated the role. There's that same mix of strong vocals, genuine emotion, and lovable awkwardness. Every character they play is treated with maximum importance. Monk is particularly memorable, stalking through “Haunted German Wood” before launching into the magnificently overwrought “Stop the Press.” As Monk, J.K sounds like a hillbilly preacher (with a pet cat named Satan). Other characters drift through Cockney, German, and American dialects. Normally, inconsistent accents are one of my pet peeves. But here, they are so blatant and shamelessly embraced that they become one of the funniest parts of the show for me.

Daniel Kirkby (as Doug playing Gutenberg) has the smirk of a leading man who knows he's already won over the audience. He also receives the coveted eleven o’clock number, introduced with the explanation that old Broadway shows are very long and very boring, so they need a song near the end to wake everybody up.

Bud and Doug poke fun at the obsession with adaptations. Before diving into Gutenberg!, they tried their hand at a Phantom prequel and even a musical about every Stephen King novel. Neither took off because audiences apparently only want books, movies, and history adaptations - preferably with one famous person’s name repeated often enough that nobody forgets who the musical is about. Hamilton...

But underneath the parody, there's something surprisingly sweet about Bud and Doug. They're just a couple of dorks who adore musicals, are passionate about their ridiculous creation, and clearly love working together. Their friendship deepens as they share secrets, admit doubts, and face the reality that their masterpiece might not receive the future they dreamed of.

Despite the deliberately dubious musical within the musical, the tunes are way better than what you’d expect Bud and Doug to pull off. Every musical theatre convention gets its turn: the “I want” song, the town gossip number, the seductive villain jam, the nightmare sequence, the compulsory tap number and kickline, the traumatic death, and the inexplicable inclusion of suicidal ideation. “Tomorrow Is Tonight” comes with instructions to imagine lasers, an electric drum kit, a gospel choir, and fog. “The Press Song” has a joyous boogie-woogie groove, while “Biscuits” is the pointless upbeat 'charm song' thrown in to give the audience a break from what they really care about and provide an opportunity for a celebrity cameo. They joke, “If we could get Rob Mills, we’d never close!” - a line that lands with spectacularly unfortunate timing (Sorry Waitress!)

Rae Rose is the musical engine behind the spectacle, sustaining its frantic pace from the piano and moving confidently between musical styles. J.K and Kirkby direct with a keen sense of pace and clarity, propelling the show forward as they change characters, reinterpret history, and build an entire soundscape.

This is not a production for history purists. Anyone hoping for a responsible account of Gutenberg’s life, fifteenth-century Europe or movable type should probably visit a museum. The show announces its historical liberties early and gallops away from accuracy without looking back. Our audience, however, was practically giddy as J.K and Kirkby used physical comedy, shifting accents, imaginary scenery and props, corny puns and a pretend revolve to bring the enormous musical inside Bud and Doug’s heads to life.

Brisbane is lucky to receive such a quality production of this rarely-staged musical. With three excellent performers, tons of hats, and almost no reliable history, Gutenberg! makes a very strong case for giving these two loveable dorks their Broadway contract.