The Trap: Bad Musical

• Marissa Burgess
• 11 August 2012

This article is from 2012

Comedy group performance almost convincingly good at being awful

It’s tricky doing something so bad that you make it good. But The Trap fellas are seasoned sketch show artistes and so know what they’re doing in creating a ‘bad musical’. Sound cues are routinely missed, there’s plenty of in-fighting and the lead actress is a yellow balloon. The narrative is appropriately appalling too: Johnny Everyman leaves Little Smallton for a big life in the big city that may be London or may be Edinburgh.

The sections that have been hacked out so the production doesn’t over-run are, of course, the ones that explain the most ludicrous plot twists. The only problem is that it’s almost too convincing and you find yourself getting drawn in from time to time, a bit like watching a bad soap opera.

Though not every single gag hits home there are some great moments; one of the trio loses his hat in the opening sequence and has do the rest of the routine without it and an over-enthusiastic wannabe chef eulogises the sandwich in song.

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 27 Aug, 5pm £10--£11 (£9--£10).