[BELGRADE THEATRE : 13 - 17 APRIL 1999]

The Belgrade Youth Theatre was created over twenty years ago to give young Coventry people a voice for their creative talents and more importantly a place to go where they can feel involved and have fun. Under the auspices of Janice Dunn, director and writer for the Youth Theatre, Boy Band is the sixth musical project to hit the stage in the Main House.

This kind of work takes a huge commitment from all those involved. The Youth Theatre has been working on the initial script idea since late January and their hard work has paid enormous dividends.

Boy Band charts the course of five young Coventry lads, from their initial auditions in a church hall, through the rigours of manipulative managers and record companies, to supposed super-stardom. The Boy Band in question, is hilariously named the ‘M&M’s’, because ‘they are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside’, but actually stands for the aptly titled Muff Magnets!

The story is narrated by a chorus of four Dead Rock Stars, containing the usual suspects, John, Jim, Kurt and Elvis; so famous that they don’t need surnames. This was a theatrical device that worked, but due to technical problems with the onstage mikes, occasionally the main thrust of the story was lost.

The Dead Rock stars are ably assisted, by some of the female members in the cast who are split between three Girl Groups, the Pop Tarts, B*Jesus and Cleopatois. No prizes for guessing whose names they are based on. The way the Girl Groups are controlled by the record company provides a sinister backdrop to the meteoric rise to fame of the lads.

A member of Cleopatois, who enjoys doing her homework is ridiculed by her manager for not having enough ‘attitude’. B*Jesus are promoted as innocent Irish girls, but are really posh-speaking, beer-swilling ladettes. ‘Stuck Up’, a member of the Pop Tarts is told she has to form a relationship with an M&M instead of a famous footballer. Sound familiar?

The audition scene, to find the five lads was very enjoyable, allowing some very funny musical pastiches from the younger members of the cast; in particular the two boy duo (Simon Bayliss and Christopher Nagle) who did a glorious rendition of ‘It’s Raining Men’. Chris Treanor who plays Billy, the fast talking, mobile-phone clutching, band manager, handles his character well, getting full mileage out of his comedic one-liners.

When the M&M’s do their first gig to get that all important initial record company interest at a local girls’ school, you can practically smell the adolescent pheromones in the auditorium, as the pubescent girls scream their adulation for the boys, much to the consternation of the perplexed headmistress.

By the end of the first act, the M&M’s have metamorphosed into a professional, all-dancing, all-singing pop phenomenon, as they perform Robbie William’s ‘Let Me Entertain You’ in front of a cheering full cast. Full marks to all the lads who make up the M&M’s for a highly believable, well executed performance.

The second Act charts the inevitable decline of the M&M’s, who having attained fame, find that it’s not what it’s cracked up to be. As they sit in yet another boring hotel room while on tour, one of them mournfully says: ‘I thought it would be a dead good laugh, but it’s not’.

Billy, their manager, is unceremoniously sacked by the record company. A member of the band is photographed smoking a joint backstage, only to be frog-marched out of the band and sent home in disgrace. A girl fan sells a ‘kiss and tell’ story to the gutter press, suggesting that one of the M&M’s is endowed like a ‘chipolata’. This catalogue of disasters culminates in the now four-piece M&M’s being awarded ‘Best Newcomer’ at the annual pop ceremony, only to find yet another member announcing his departure to pursue a solo career.

This is a salutary tale of youthful dreams gone stale. The characterisations throughout were of the highest calibre from everyone involved. Natasha Springer and Sheryl Robertson gave sterling solo vocal performances as members of the Pop Tarts. Declan Bennet shone in his singer-songwriter capacity as a member of the M&M's.

Boy Band is an excellent night’s entertainment, complete with 20 all-time favourite songs. The Belgrade Youth Theatre has much to feel proud of.