Buzz: A New Musical

Who’d have thought a musical about vibrators could be so educational? Fat Rascal Theatre’s celebration of spending time with oneself—part sex-ed, part sitcom—is flawed, but surprisingly informative. 

When Angie’s boyfriend leaves her to pursue his music career, her friend turns her on to the idea of self-pleasure. She orders a vibrator. 

The show doesn’t beat around the bush (even if its characters do): it’s upfront and explicit about the benefits of masturbation. The men spend most of the show shirtless, the women take charge, but the characters are drawn broadly, almost to the point of caricature. Its gender politics are a bit outmoded, too – the token gay guy in particular needs a couple of extra dimensions. 

The songs by Robyn Grant (lyrics) and James Ringer-Beck (music) are slightly surreal interruptions into the narrative. They jump to various moments in the past, looking at the history of the vibrator from Cleopatra filling a gourd with bees to Victorian women being pleasured by their GPs. There are a few witty lyrics, but the music itself is either too bland or too much of a pastiche. 

Billing itself as a new musical, it’s a shame that the music is what lets it down. A few of the voices are a bit ropey too – screechy, out of sync, rough around the edges. But then so is the whole show. It’s almost charming for that reason, but never quite reaches climax.