Waiting in the lobby to see Merryville we are offered the option of ear plugs, in case the music is too loud. I take a pair, just in case, and ten minutes in am glad I did. Its creators describe Merryville to be a grime concept concert, but it initially felt like a lot of shouting. Grime, arguably the biggest music movement since Britpop in the 90s, is used in Merryville to discuss the potential consequences of Brexit, and an imagined coalition between Labour and UKIP, amongst other things. After a little introduction we are invited to leave, if we wish, and I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of production would offer that. Of course, no-one did, and I expect they would’ve received a good heckling if they had.

Set in the ‘last affordable housing estate in London’, fictional Merryville was created by the writers Gerel Falconer and Dominic Garfield, who play Dustin Roads and Dr Green Fingers respectively. The piece is set in 2020, four years after the EU referendum. Theresa May is still Prime Minister and Sadiq Khan has been assassinated. The outside world is described as a ‘warzone’ and the Merryville estate sounds like a dystopian hell – all of this in just four years? While I wholeheartedly agree that the current political climate isn’t brilliant, and that’s putting it lightly, I think rioting and carnage, wielding baseball bats and potentially dying to defend the housing block you live in, all by the year 2020, is a tad extreme and a bit self-indulgent.

Some of Merryville was funny, the funniest part being when Garfield accidentally threw an eviction notice at someone in the front row and subsequently made a joke about her having a papercut. MP rap battles between Zac Goldsmith and Sadiq Khan and tracks featuring satirical impersonations of Jeremy Corbyn, Theresa May and David Cameron ‘spitting bars’ were highlights. A song about the life of a squatter called Roger was also particularly memorable. Though I couldn’t help but feel as though this wasn’t the right format for what could’ve been cleverer, funnier and more innovative. I couldn’t always hear what I don’t doubt were witty and succinct lyrics due to the sound levels. Perhaps the rap battles and politically charged tracks would be better on a platform like YouTube, where the production can be controlled and the material would be easier to access for all demographics.

I appreciate what HighRise have tried to do with Merryville, and the small set with the Union Jack flag gives promising little Britain-esque underdog vibes, but the writing just isn’t always sharp. It is at times repetitive, and feels as though we are being beaten over the head with things we already know. We know the Tories aren’t great, we know property is sold to foreign investors and forces out the locals – you’re preaching to the converted. However, I respect the message. It was angry and mostly entertaining, and it’s good to see current affairs explored on the stage.

 

Merryville is playing at Camden People’s Theatre until 5 November. For more information and tickets, see Camden People’s Theatre website.