The competition between Apple Computing and Microsoft is something that has quickly become part of the modern American Myth. Nerds: The Bill Gates vs. Steve Jobs Comedy Musical is a comedic retelling of a rivalry that would shape the world of information technology for decades to come.

The set-up is pretty straightforward; Steve Jobs is the ‘cool kid’ with an interest in money, spirituality and making the prettiest computer out there. Bill Gates is the huge nerd who is initially just making a computer that actually works, before realising that software is the real money spinner. Steve gets all the girls, Bill gets all the money.  Also, the Woz and Paul Allen are there.

Through a series of amusing yet pretty forgettable songs, Gates and Jobs clash repeatedly, in a rivalry that doesn’t actually make any sense in the way this story is told. Still, it’s sort of fun in a rival schools sort of way, provided you don’t take it too seriously.

This is an America-centred retelling of the story of computing. So no mention of Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Linus Torvalds or Alan Turing, just the people in Silicon Valley. But then it is a musical, not an accurate retelling of the story behind modern computing.  This story has a light-sabre duel and a Bill Gates disco dancing in a shell suit. Fun is the aim here.

 Nerds: The Bill Gates vs. Steve Jobs Comedy Musical works because the cast is very good and is having a lot of fun.  Kane Oliver Parry is particularly notable, and Steve Jobs gets all the best lines and the most memorable stunts. Teleri Hughes also sparkles as Gate’s love interest, though they do feel a little wasted at times.

This is a show that is really with IT. Gloriously Geeky Genius.

You can book tickets for NERDS  here, and find out more about future shows here.