The Picture House review, LOST

Yorkshire, 1939.  Oscar and Penny high on love, have renovated the local flea pit. Ginger and Fred are performing most evenings and the dream is becoming reality, when war intervenes. Oscar gets called up and the local ladies get bored with reruns of Gone With the Wind which is all that's on offer at The Picture House. As Penny's business starts to suffer, three young men exempted from active service turn their energies to winning her heart and her cinema...

The honey shot

The Picture House is a new muscial with some terrific songs - particularly those sung by the soldiers. There's also an excellent comic song, sung by the conniving army rejects: Tom has a dodgy heart but a strong todger that slips itself into every line; Richard has such a bad stammer that he's commuted his name to Dick to save time; and Harry has narcolepsy.

Presented by Play Pen productions, the show lacks writing credits. The  beginning is a little clunky and the end a tad sudden, and some proper script development would take the piece up a level, but it's good old fashioned fun. The excellent four piece band under the direction of Nick House, ensure the music soars even if all voices don't, and there are enough sympathetic moments to make it a good watch.

In conclusion: Sixty minutes of fun with a young cast who manage expertly on a small stage. It's tight, bright and light of touch, with palpable energy. The lovely bar area at LOST lacks seating, so don't arrive too early unless for alcohol.    

References
LOST, tickets
The Picture House Musical website