Departure Lounge is a musical about four friends waiting for a delayed flight back to England after their vacation in Spain. They’ve had a wild and crazy week, spent mostly drinking and pursuing girls, and now they’re bored, waiting for Ryan Air to let them board their flight.
They recount their week through a series of song-and-dance numbers. Most of these songs are completely over-the-top, but the actors’ energy and enthusiasm are infectious. I cringed at some of the subject material, but I couldn’t help but enjoy the songs. Departure Lounge definitely would appeal to more men than the average musical. It reminded me a bit of The Inbetweeners, albeit a version of the television show that was musical and where the boys had better luck with the ladies, not to mention better dance moves.
It’s luck with the ladies that is the main premise of the musical. As they wait for their plane, the boys discuss Ross’s ill-fated date with Sophie, a girl they met in Spain, and try to figure out what happened on one alcohol-soaked night. But while girls are the main discussion, it’s what goes unspoken—but not unsung—is the most interesting part. Each boy has a secret that they believe could doom their friendships. The tension present throughout the silliness, and the serious moments among the crass clowning around make the musical compelling. I did think the boys’ back stories were portrayed a bit too sentimentally, not fitting the overall silly mood of the musical, but for the most part I enjoyed Departure Lounge and would recommend it to both men and women as worth their time.
Jessie L
UC-Berkeley
I agree with the 'sentimentality' comment. This seems to be a malaise with much 'musical' writing, when a group of really good songs are tied together by a less convincing script. As you imply, there is certainly more work needed on the play itself to turn an entertaining evening into a thorough musical. Well done. Dr Q
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