Show 915 – I Predict A Riot – 20th January – Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds

Prison, right now.

Bernadette’s women’s prison houses the three people at the centre of this story: Yvonne Murmuré, who wouldn’t let her husband get in the way of her education; Maxi Smith-Johnson, who killed all her ex-husbands; and Nina ‘The Nutter’ de Neuve, who robbed a jam factory in Tiptree ten years earlier.

While the crimes of the other two deserve long sentences, Nina should have been out years ago – why does she mess up every parole hearing? Is it because of the machinations of governor Mandrake, who is obsessed with her? Or deep down does she not want to leave?

In a conceptual coup, this musical takes places in real time, the imaginary world of the musical matching the real world of the audience, second by second. While that seemed clever at the time, it also didn’t actually impact on the musical. Oh well.