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REVIEW | FLOP! The Best Songs From The Worst Musicals, Phoenix Arts Club - London
- Harry Brogan
- Jul 23
- 3 min read
AD | Tickets gifted in exchange of an honest review. All views are our own
Arthur Hull stars in FLOP! The Best Songs From The Worst Musicals, a cheeky 60 minute love letter to musical theatre. The premise is established quickly: “Every musical can be proud of one song… maybe!”. The show explores Broadway's and the West End’s most infamous failures while searching for a redeeming quality in each of them, most often the passion and the heart of the creators behind these productions.
Hull juggles entertaining the audience with a stand up and improv-inspired style, while accompanying himself on keyboard, using looping tech to layer vocals and instrumentation into harmonies and beats, and even showing off his dancing skills as he recreates ironically bad choreography (Carrie the Musical).
It's obvious Hull has a deep appreciation and understanding of the musical theatre industry as a whole as his references don't just scratch the surface with known flops like Grease 2, Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, Diana The Musical, but he delves into lesser known productions like King Kong and Moby Dick! The Musical. Hull makes sure to introduce each musical offering the audience context and amusing facts about their downfall before launching into what he considers its standout song. His singing is consistently strong, shifting between big ballads to more comedic showstopping numbers, showcasing a good vocal control and versatility.
The show, however, seems to be quite lacklustre. Rather than unfolding as a cohesive production, it reads more like a series of anecdotes followed by a song. A more thorough analysis as to why these musicals failed, what similarities some of these songs have, might bring together a stronger show. The transitions between the songs also deserve reconsideration, as Hull is frequently forced to dash from centre stage to his instruments and various props. The use of the latter is cleverly executed with moments of endearing audience participation, an element which should be explored and implemented even further to make FLOP! more engaging.
The show has been performed regularly since its debut in 2024, but it could still benefit from a little tidying up. Hull’s occasional mistakes are difficult to overlook on the plain, minimalistic stage, where there is little to distract from the performance when a mishap occurs.
Arthur Hull does bring enthusiasm to the stage, and his love for theatre is clear, his heartbreak and compassion for all the creators and actors of these failed musicals is palpable. Hull is a capable singer who accompanies himself well on the keyboard, but that alone is not enough. His punchlines and comedy routines work well with some audience members, but they don't always convince the room as a whole. At times the performance lacks a commanding stage presence, needed to fully commit and perform confidently.
FLOP! The Best Songs From The Worst Musicals has an interesting concept behind it and it’s certainly not a flop, but it has plenty of room to grow. A more cohesive narrative connecting the individual numbers could elevate it from an enjoyable fringe show to one audiences will be happy to recommend to their friends.
★★★
FLOP! The Best Songs From The Worst Musicals can be seen at Wilton’s Music Hall, 1 Graces Alley, London E1 8JB Thursday 24 - Saturday 26 September and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Gilded Balloon, Teviot - Thursday 6 - Sunday 30 August (not 12, 19, 26)
