Stuffed

Now this is my kind of musical theatre! A lady (Alison Fitzjohn) advertises for an helper for the ultimate challenge for her taxidermy online, and gets a response from “Bernie” (Anthony Young). He has no wish to die, but he has no wish to grow old either - so what better way to avoid the latter and to attain a degree of perfect immortality? He arrives at her home where a cup of tea and few musical numbers that could easily have fitted into Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd” ease him, and us, into the process as the two find an instant emotional connection. The simplicity of the dark and dingy photography is really quite effective but it’s the lyric that works best as it manages to incorporate some clever rhymes with the downright macabre and yes, even an hint of affection, too.