After bringing the successful musical Bring It On to the stage, the Edinburgh Footlights are back with Bohemia, a show choir performing in the Assembly Roxy venue. The venue is an intimate setting that creates a feeling of connection between the audience and the cast; the venue is small, and the audience sits above the stage.
The show choir is based on bohemians — creative, free-spirited people who live and act in defiance of conventional rules. It feels as if the cast and audience are all sitting by a fire and singing together, and this feeling is intensified by the placement of wooden benches. In terms of song choices, the show begins with high-energy songs but then quickly embarks on a rollercoaster, guiding us from sad songs to happy ones. Each one of the eighteen cast members has a chance to be a lead singer, and many have the chance to play the guitar. There were a few mic problems, which distracted the audience from the cast, and, in some parts, the live music was louder than the singing, and therefore the audience could not hear the words.
The second part of the show was, in my opinion, much better. There were fewer mic problems, and the cast had more chances to show off their singing skills. I particularly want to highlight the creative choreography for ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and ‘Another Day of Sun’. A greatly affecting moment in the show is when the cast uses cardboard protest signs to show support towards causes that are currently discussed in society.
The lighting was thematic, in some cases purposely shining the light onto the audience, highlighting the bridging of the audience and the cast. A nice effect was using the colours of the French flag during ‘Do you hear the people sing?‘ from Les Miserables. Cleverly, the cast used water bottles in the shape of small wine bottles to stay hydrated during the show, but not to disrupt the atmosphere. Moreover, the costumes allowed each cast member to have a different personality, and the clothing contributed to the whole concept of Bohemia.
Overall, Bohemia is an entertaining show choir that sparks a wonderful array of emotions.
Image by Aisling Anderson, provided via press release