Review: Four Felons & a Funeral at Birmingham Hippodrome

Four Felons and a Funeral is a queer, rom-com, road-trip musical which sees three friends – Bex (Maddy Maguire), Wilf (Gareth Moriarty), Millie (Robyn Sinclair), and her boyfriend Simon (Conor Dumbrell) – become felons when they steal their late-friend’s ashes in order to scatter them. Packed into a Fiat Punto called Lola – with a large decorative urn holding Charlie's ashes – this dysfunctional group set out on a ‘Thelma and Louise’ style roadtrip, determined to give their friend the send-off they deserve. En-route to their final destination, however, they experience the five stages of grief, alongside a healthy dose of screaming, shouting, fighting, and fleeing from a felony. 

A tale of loss, friendship, family, and the importance of leaning on those you love, this production spans the width and depth of grief, it's pain, and the different ways it manifests, with an uplifting soundtrack that lifts and brightens the melancholy. Exploring queer identities, love, and gender expression, Four Felons & a Funeral also captures perfectly the exhaustion of constantly having to explain your identity and community. 

A touching, heart-filled musical with comedic wit and camp humour, romantic drama, anger and tenderness, carried on waves of grief and connection. A tearful, yet feel-good musical, Four Felons & a  Funeral is packed with raw emotion as Millie, Wilf, Bex and Simon drive into the sunset, towards feeling better.

Four Felons & a Funeral completes its run in Birmingham with a final showing at 7.45pm on Saturday 28th September; tickets are still available. Following a sold-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe, GOYA Theatre Company presents Four Felons & a Funeral which is touring the UK, showing next at Mercury Theatre, Colchester, and the Pleasance Theatre, London.

Four Felons and a Funeral is written and Directed by Sam Woof, with writer and Musical Supervisor, Math Roberts, Producers Lowri Spear and Mrinmoyee Roy, Musical Director, Isaac Adni, and Stage Manager, Izzy Thurston. The set and costume were designed by Sonya Smullen, Lighting Design from Chris McDonnell, and the Rehearsal Assistant was Megan Sharman.

This review is written following a press invite to the show.