The Winner Rolls It All
Rotunda Theatre, Brighton
The Winner Rolls It All is a fast-paced, high-stakes board game musical. Featuring a score parodying one of Eurovision’s most iconic winners, and a book crammed with pop-culture references, think The Rocky Horror Show meets Starlight Express.
A riff on Mamma Mia! and featuring a score made up of parodies of ABBA songs, with a story about a board game that everybody is familiar with. Featuring bonds, stocks, investments, betrayal, capitalism & Gemma Collins quotes, there’s something for everyone in this hilarious parody musical.
Director Nathan Camilleri brings a joyful style to Staunch Theatre’s excellent production and a dazzling array of costumes by Emma Kelly together with witty lyrics by Camilleri and Ewan Fellows results in a show that is head and shoulders above what the rest of the Brighton Fringe has to offer.
The cast are outstanding. We meet Moneybags playfully portrayed by Louisa Johnston who has a wonderful singing voice, Hotel and House (scene-stealing performances from Amy Cook and Isla Fleury), Race Car (perfect comedy timing from Kitty Hosty), Chance and Community Chest (quirkily played by Ciara Smith and Isobel Stoner), Jailer (the only man in the cast, the excellent Phil Sherrard), Thimble and Iron (the terrific Maria Crowther and Paloma Lafitte) and Wheelbarrow (a powerhouse performance from Charlotte de Quervain) however the beauty of this show is that it’s a real ensemble company who work incredibly hard, especially as there is no amplification of the their voices.
Overall, this is an ebullient production, fun and with a wonderful selection of music by Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson. Catch it if you can.
Reviewer: Patric Kearns
⭐⭐⭐⭐