Bittersweet comedy abounds in 'ska musical' The Big Life, which transfers the plot of Love's Labours Lost to the 1950s Windrush generation and sets it to music.
Four West Indian men travelling to England enter into a pact: hard work and no women for three years while they establish themselves in their new home.
But faced with unexpected hardships, they start to miss the love of a good woman, not helped by the fact they are sharing a B&B with four feisty and attractive females.
The crushing disappointment of reaching the 'mother land' only to find every door slammed in your face is poignantly portrayed in Paul Sirett's play. But the 'laugh or you'll cry' attitude, which got these people through, is also shown, as even the most dire of situations is related with feelgood humour.
The cast handle their demanding roles with ease: Marcus Powell as shufflingly insecure Dennis and Chris Tummings as wide-boy Lennie are particularly good and Yaa, playing Sybil, has a knockout singing voice.
The 'heavenly' band of white-suited, bewinged musicians churn out some excellent tunes, which take in calypso and jazz as much as ska.
The interventions from 'audience member' Mrs Aphrodite (Tameka Empson), commenting on the action during scene changes, are fun until she starts to run out of ideas but director Clint Dyer keeps this rumbustious, big-hearted play skipping along.
Until May 22, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Gerry Raffles Square E15, Mon to Sat 7.30pm, May 22 mat 3pm, £8 to £20. Tel: 020 8534 0310. www.stratfordeast.com Tube: Stratford
The Big Life
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