Review: Grindr the Opera at The Old Rep, Birmingham

★★★★★

Grindr the Opera: The Unauthorised Parody is a musical production for the modern world that puts the best-known gay hook-up app at the centre of an opera. Exploring gay dating and hook-up culture, this winner of Best New Musical in the Off-West End Awards takes audiences on a humorous and thought-provoking journey of music and satirical comedy.

The show is directed and choreographed by William Spencer, and produced by Peter Bull for Above The Stag Theatre Limited. It stars Christian Lunn as the villainous personification of Grindr, alongside Patrick Barrett, Oliver Cartwright, Will Joel, Will Loader, Kane Verrall and Dereck Walker, each of whom take on an archetypal character, in stereotypes of men you might find on Grindr.

With a book, and music & lyrics by Erik Ransom, the production leans into the drama and camp of opera, making use of operatic tools including arias, flutes, use of Italian language, and even recitative storytelling speech numbers pumped full of sharp wit. The performers are accompanied by the onstage orchestra, with Musical Director and Orchestrator by Aaron Clingham. While vocals are great across the board, it is Christian Lunn as Grindr who is a real stand-out, creating a captivating performance as addictive as Grindr itself.

Grindr the Opera opens on a high-camp note, with its atmospheric set design (David Shields) as a backdrop, and the production continues to hold that note throughout. The cleverly spun web of plot is woven with political commentary on closeted DL men, right wing ideology, shame, and internalised homophobia for a satirical bite. This plays alongside the raunchy, filthy and funny that you would expect from a story that centres Grindr.

Grindr the Opera plays at The Old Rep, Birmingham until Sunday 2^nd August. The production also plays at Nottingham Arts Theatre in September.

This review was written following a press invite to the production.