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REVIEW | SNAP! A New Musical, King’s Head Theatre
- Harry Brogan
- May 10
- 2 min read
AD | Tickets gifted in exchange of an honest review
TW/CW Strong language, adult themes, manipulation & emotional abuse, sexual objectification, toxic relationships, mild sexual content & nudity references,
“A game of love, a game of life, a game of lust” sings Max (Matteo Giambiasi), a well-known photographer, as he creates a web of deceit and manipulation among his “obedient” assistant Sheila (Justine Marie Mead), his ex girlfriend Angela (Hayley Maybury) and her unemployed boyfriend Tom (Will Usherwood-Bliss,). King’s Head Theatre homes SNAP!: A New Musical: written by David O’Brien (book, music and lyrics), directed by Jack Storm and with musical direction by Debbi Clarke.
SNAP! follows photographer Max, who recruits the insecure Tom for a bizarre tea-themed ad campaign, featuring Tom holding a colourful teapot in just his underwear. With Max behind the camera and Sheila helping, the photoshoot bursts into a musical number that boosts Tom’s confidence, prompting him to text Angela, only for autocorrect to turn it into an accidental breakup. Tom cheats, Max seduces, and everyone regrets it; except Max, who reveals himself as a power-hungry manipulator, a twist that feels surprising and unwarranted as Matteo Giambiasi's character appears to be more over-the-top than mysterious and calculated.
With a running time of just 70 minutes, the plot feels rushed and underdeveloped. Right after being introduced to the ensemble, the audience is quickly thrust into a supposedly high-stakes scenario without sufficient buildup or context, making it difficult to fully grasp the characters motivations or form a meaningful connection with them. Many character decisions seem contradictory, such as when Tom goes from sending a sexually excited text to his girlfriend to cheating on her with another woman in the same scene.
While the music is pleasant and most of the cast delivers strong vocal performances, the lyrics are quite cliché and predictable, leaving much to be desired and nothing that will be stuck in your head on your way home. There are humorous moments throughout, with Justine Marie Mead (Sheila) stealing the most laughs. Mead’s background in various pantomimes informs her comedic timing, and Mead’s two standout songs showcase both vocal strength and give emotional depth, allowing us to empathise with Sheila on multiple occasions and making Sheila feel like the most well-rounded and relatable character of the four.
The show brings a variety of important topics to the surface, but that is where they will all stay, as it lacks the clarity needed to explore and ground its ideas fully. Characters pop in and out of the barren stage with little development or sudden revelations; a deeper look into their motivations and goals would benefit the story. With some revisions to the script and tweaks to the lyrics, SNAP!: A New Musical has the potential to become more cohesive and far more engaging as the foundation of an intriguing story is already present, simply waiting to be further explored.
★★.5
SNAP! A New Musical plays at the King's Head Theatre until 25th of May.
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