“For every Broadway hit, there are fifty flops,” sings Australian singer/musician Arthur Hull at the climax of his opening number. He’s here to give those flops their due; to prove that from every musical that lost millions, there is at least one good song. Hull makes it look effortless. His vocals stay luscious even as he dances, plays his own instrumental backing, and – to introduce a song from Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark, Broadway’s biggest ever money-loser – even shows off some impressive gymnastic ability.
Between the songs, his banter is well rehearsed while also being reactive to what’s happening in the room. It’s clear that, by necessity, he has fine-tuned the hour to its tightest possible version, finding laughs in small decisions like holding back the reveal of a song’s title or its play of origin until after the first verse. Those who are already musical theatre-pilled will no doubt wish the show could go on longer; a testament to Hull’s extremely likeable presence but also just an obvious truth. If you’re used to Broadway’s bum-numbing runtimes and you’ve already trawled all the decent musical soundtracks, what could be better than a personally curated extra helping of the best bits from the rest of the pile?
But perhaps also, beyond a Fringe show’s typical 60-minute runtime, the show would even have time to win round those predisposed to dismiss or cringe at musicals. A segment in the show dedicates itself to My Funny Valentine, which most people don’t know transcended its Broadway origins to stand on its own terms as a song of undeniable beauty. Moments like these give a taste of the show’s potential to change minds not just about the songs, but about musical theatre in general. As it stands, for fans, FLOP hits all the right notes.
Arthur Hull’s FLOP: The Best Songs from the Worst Musicals Ever…, Gilded Balloon at Appleton Tower, (not 12, 19), 8.45pm