By Anne-Louise Fortune
Eugenius is a stage musical which, on paper, Starburst readers should find immensely enjoyable. The listing contains several points that should appeal: comic books, superhero movies, and; it’s set in the 1980s. It’s disappointing then that what is delivered is so much less than what is promised.
The plot is…confusing. Eugene is an ordinary geek at an ordinary American high school, and he and his geek friends are ridiculed and bullied by the popular jocks. But Eugene is a top-level geek – not only is he really into comic books, but he’s also creating his own! Eugene’s mom has passed away, and his dad thinks that comic books are nonsense for kids. Enter, stage right, an assistant from a Hollywood film studio – they’re launching a competition to find an exciting new talent!
You’ll be shocked to hear that Eugene wins this ‘competition’ and is whisked off to Hollywood to make said film. It’s Thursday, the film begins shooting on Monday, and he needs to write the script! And audition the actors! He definitely doesn’t need a lawyer to look over the studio contract, and somehow, neither does he need a responsible adult with him! Then it turns out that Eugene’s comic is real, and honestly, that was where it all just unravelled to the point of being both absurd and somewhat difficult to follow.
Whilst we understand that all musicals are, by their nature, not based in the school of theatre known as Realism, most of them do at least try to have a sensible, coherent plot. But the mess of the plot was only one of the aspects which concerned us with this production.
The character of Janie could have been replaced with a sexy lamp. This is a shame because the actor we saw in the role, Jaina Brock-Patel, was doing an excellent job of belting out the songs assigned to her character. However, Janey’s characterisation is wafer-thin. We know nothing about her other than that she ‘is in love’ with Eugene but has found herself firmly ‘friend zoned’ – a term we aren’t sure existed in the 1980s. Eugene’s only other friend, Ferris (yes, it is a nod! Isn’t it subtle!), is your stereotypically sex-obsessed teenager, whose arc peaks when he attempts to woo the actress playing “Super Hot Lady” via the medium of the “No Pants Song”.
It’s not all bad, though, and when it’s allowed to be its own thing is when Eugenius shows promise. The confusion of how you find out who you truly are and who you want to be as a teenager is all too resonant. Some of the songs are quite catchy. The minimal set is cleverly used, and the electronic backdrop is an effective way to convey locations and heighten emotional moments.
Joseph Beach, as Evil Lord Hector, chews the scenery to just the correct extent, as the baddie who has been brought to life from Eugene’s imagination. Elliott Evans, as Eugene, is as optimistic, trusting and naïve as he needs to be, and Lara Denning, as studio head Lex, captures the disdain and multiple HR Policy breaches that we now know were occurring all too frequently in real life at that time.
Whilst the nostalgia is dialled up to eleven, it is regrettable that this is at least one more than it needed to be. The sheer wealth of ’80s references, which start off as an endearing attempt to strongly situate the piece, quickly become cloying. The references are too broad, perhaps in an attempt to appeal to anyone who was alive at any point in the 1980s. As a result, the references are also too shallow – as if they were sourced by googling “1980s television, film and radio” and using resulting Wikipedia lists as a source. Choosing one specific genre to examine and critique would have led to a more fulfilling experience. As it is, one-line mentions, telegraphed to the audience rather than played straight, detract from the ability to suspend disbelief.
In failing to choose to either lean into the tropes of ’80s movies and play the piece for camp or alternatively to take the opportunity to critique those same tropes, this musical fails to appeal to the geeks it is trying to represent as a comic book and superhero fans will be disappointed, but unfortunately not surprised, by the treatment of their favourite texts. Non-fans may fail to appreciate that the debate around the same has moved on to serious discussion, with academic and cultural recognition of the moral and ethical position comic books have been taking since the golden age. Eugenius once again reinforces the stereotype that all superhero and comic content is the work of a singular nerd, scribbling away in his bedroom, unable to form a romantic relationship, and semi-estranged from his family and peers.
We wanted to love this. Alas, like Eugene’s comic creation Tough Man, our love shrivelled on contact.
Eugenius continues at The Turbine Theatre at Battersea Power Station until May 28th.
