Tick, Tick … Boom

Tick Tick Boom was originally written as a musical autobiographical monologue but after Jonathan Larson’s death in 1996, and the subsequent success of “RENT”, was reworked for stage to incorporate three performers. The story tells of Jon who is fast approaching his 30th birthday and currently having somewhat of a career crisis. Having been a struggling musical writer all his adult life he is now having to consider his future and whether selling out into the world of corporate marketing is perhaps a more worthwhile “adult” pursuit. Throughout this he has a completed musical that is being performed for an audience hoping that this may finally be his big break, must deal with the end of a relationship and the news that his best friend is suffering from a fatal condition.
As a show Tick Tick Boom will resonate with any audience member who has suffered creative exasperation or the general fear of the big 3-0. It’s cast work well within the space and there are genuine moments of both laughter and empathy. Unfortunately, David Hepburn (who plays Jon) doesn’t have the strength of voice or stage presence to hold the audience and his belt range falls short of the intended score leaving him frequently flat when aiming for the high notes. As the show has been cut down in length to accommodate the festival time slots we also miss some of emotional connection with the character of Michael, played excellently by Kevin Thorburn, but this is forgivable as Mr Thorburn’s other personas in the show leave a lasting impression of a genuine talent. The final actor, Debora Haig, is a delight as Susan and carries her supporting role with confidence most notably in her personification of the character Karessa as she musically steals the show with her rendition of “Come to your senses”.
This is a good version of a great show that anyone who can relate to the struggles of an artistic career will enjoy, just don’t expect to be bowled over.

3/5

Chris Kidd