Insane Animals: Sparkling Satire from Bourgeois and Maurice
Billed as “a modern mythical musical to save the human race”, Insane Animals is not quite what anybody expected. Diehard Bourgeois and Maurice fans will be somewhat taken aback by the dedication to narrative that sews their songs together. Meanwhile, uninitiated audience members are led through a show that is littered with surprises.
Insane Animals is anchored on an ancient Mesopotamian myth. Speeding through this epic tale in just one act, Bourgeois and Maurice channel ‘The Reduced Shakespeare Company’ throughout their sparkling summary. Yet the eloquent pair never miss an opportunity to pause and point out the ludicrous intricacies that may have been overlooked for millennia.
Choosing to anchor their classic cabaret act with a narrative arc, the double act can make shrewd satirical comments without risk of overplaying any single point. Homosexuality, heterosexuality, civilisation, tyranny, immortality, trans-humanism and Brexit are all on the bill, and doused in sequins.
Bourgeois and Maurice take us back to a simpler time, with sparkling tin-foil set design.
Bringing together political satire with moments of sheer silliness, this musical matches ‘The Mighty Boosh’ for variety, balance and charmingly low-tech props. Though the onstage band forms the majority part of the foreground, the set design is a series of surprises and delights. With all the trimmings of a big-budget musical, combined with tongue-in-cheek am-dram campness, Michael Hankin’s set design is sprinkled with comedy moments in its own right. (So I urge you, look up and take it all in!)
This wild ride from Bourgeois and Maurice is a cacophony of sights and sounds. When fabulous costumes meet impeccable vocals, the results are explosive. George Heyworth and Liv Morris - as the double act are lesser known - oversee the story, straddling the fourth wall as they tie together musical and visual jokes. This show isn’t just all about them, as they support, ridicule and facilitate the performers who surround them.
Each of the show’s songs marries storytelling with shock-factor, as poetry meets punk. The songwriting pair certainly know how to capitalise on the undeniable comedic value of unfamiliar words delivered in rhyme. But their lyrical prowess steps far beyond basic punch lines. Each song features eloquent twists and turns, in a masterful array of musical styles, delivered by some spectacular musicians.
The second act breaks free from the narrative bounds and takes on a more pointed message. Free to shape the story however they choose, we explore the dystopian present day through a series of more sinister and cynical musical numbers. The politically-charged second act is hilariously ruthless.
Bourgeois and Maurice sing the final number.
In fact, the final song defies review entirely. As a fellow creative, ‘Thank God’ speaks to me on an intrinsic level, at once mocking and celebrating the artists who strive to change the world. The meta narrative takes yet another step beyond the fourth wall, implicating the audience amongst the insanity we see on stage. This production doesn’t finger-point and lay blame; rather it hugs us all into a shared state of uncertainty - and we leave feeling all the better for it.
If you’re interested to see what could happen if ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ met ‘Flight of the Conchords’, in the TV room at Willy Wonka’s factory, then you’ll love this show. Insane Animals is inclusive and flamboyant, it’s fast-paced, surprising, comedic and pointed - it’s just bloody brilliant.
Catch Insane Animals at HOME, Manchester, until Saturday 14th March. For tickets and more information, visit the HOME website.
The cast and band overlap, in an inclusive, explosive celebration.
Photos by Drew Forsyth.
