There is always that moment, half way through a show, where you realise that, what you are just watching, is the best Fringe show you are going to see that year. It is that show which you will rave to your friends about, and which you will go see again and again. It is that show that you would actually help to flyer, pouring rain or not, down the Royal Mile, if that got more people in. That show is, without a doubt, Departure Lounge.
The idea is very simple: four guys as stranded in Malaga’s airport after a week of beach and alcohol, due to their Ryanair flight back to London being delayed. They are at that moment in life when they have finished their A-levels, and they don’t know where life will take them next. It’s an American Pie of sorts, but with better actors, far better script, and some very catchy tunes. This is, after all, a musical.
Though at the beginning you might think that you are about to see a series of British and Spanish patronising clichés, stick with it, since soon you realise that this is not the case. The four lads are outstanding in their roles (the girl of their flashbacks is quite good too, though her time in stage is too short), and they bring a warmth and honesty to their characters, revealing secret identities which you didn’t think they had. The best of the show, without a doubt, has to be the music, though. The fantastic tunes and laugh out loud lyrics have your feet tapping, and your hands clapping from the get go. The four strong leads have a blast with the songs they are given to perform, and their dance sequences are a riot.
Departure Lounge is a real treat, a rare find, a show so good, you can stop yourself from praising it at all times. Five minutes standing ovation at the end is mandatory.
5/5 
Adrian G. Velazquez
