Fuckboys: The Musical - Melbourne Fringe Festival review

Fuckboys are everywhere. You know, the guys who won't get the hint that you're just not into them, or the ones who feel their masculinity is being challenged when a woman takes control. Fuck that. Written and directed by Savanna Pedersen, Fuckboys: The Musical is the story of four women who must navigate their way through a sea of fuckboys to find the diamonds in the rough.

Most of the stories take place at the their local karaoke bar where they down their drinks and talk (and sing) about the various fuckboys in their lives. One woman has recently begun a relationship with the bartender of said karaoke bar and another has decided to stop being so boring and loosen up a bit that results in some unexpected complications. The third one is still recovering from a difficult break-up that's caused her to find comfort in the bottle and the fourth is simply happy to keep swiping right on tinder.

The four women are played by Kasea Seabrook, Brittany Bennett, Maeghin Mueller and Pedersen, and they are more than comfortable in their roles, and subsequently establish a strong familiarity and bond between their characters. Despite its title, this isn't a show about women hating on men, but about women supporting each other and having each other's back and the performers ensure this comes through in their portrayals.

The story was written by Pedersen in response to a difficult breakup she experienced, so while Fuckboys comes from a personal place, there isn't much of a revelation in the stories told. Having four characters each with their own story does spread the plot development a little thin and the time jumps never really allow us to see things occur more organically so perhaps cutting one of the characters and focusing more on the other three would add more depth. The narrative devices that are used, while sometimes defying logic - such as when once person can see the audience but the other can't - are cleverly applied and add some excitement to the material.

While these stories have been told before, with no real point of difference, the songs are ultimately what keep the audience interested in the show. The music is ably produced with the lyrics providing insights into the reasoning and actions of the characters, while also having some nice comedic touches. There are times when the music drowns out the voices of the performers, particularly in their solos so some projection or microphones would help here.

With some thoughtful performances and entertaining music, Fuckboys: The Musical is a fun late night out during the Melbourne Fringe Festival.

Show Information

Venue: Lithuanian Club, 44 Errol St, North Melbourne
Season: until 23 September | Thurs - Sat 10:30pm, Sun 9:30pm 
Length: 75 minutes
Tickets: $25 Full
Bookings: Melbourne Fringe Festival