Welcome sun-seeds! Joy is overjoyed to have you at her “wellness retreat” for the next three months! Such a warm welcome couldn’t come from a cult…could it? Seven strangers think they’re signing up for a life-changing experience, but what they endure is more scary than sunny. Not A Cult: The Musical is an ambitious new production with the book by Melly Magrath, Lyrics by Magrath, Quinton Naughton, and Caitlin Turner, and directed by Mallary Davenport. This 80’s spoof musical had some high notes, but didn’t make me want to drink the Kool-Aid.
Photo by Ally Mackenzie
Joy is a former gymnast turned wellness guru who runs a retreat far away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. She invites seven new members to join in for a little…experiment of sorts. It’s not until these folks have arrived and the niceties cease that they begin to get the feeling that something isn’t totally on the up and up. Relationships are formed, broken, and mended, as the campers attempt to survive the cult they’ve accidentally signed up for.
Presenting a brand-new musical has to be difficult; there are so many moving parts to a musical and this one is no exception. However, I think this story could have benefitted from some editing before being presented in a full production. It’s two and a half hours long, and we don’t even get to the real heart of the tension in the play until most of the way through Act 1, which is significantly longer than Act 2. There are several scenes which don’t particularly enhance the plot or our understanding of the play. There’s a whole character who isn’t even listed in the program who essentially just acts as a warning, but doesn’t actually give any concrete information to the characters and so could totally be cut without changing much at all. I understand the excitement and wanting your audience to get to know the world you’re creating, but at some point I felt bogged down in details and mired in a plot that didn’t really get its legs until 2/3 of the way in.
Photo by Ally Mackenzie
One thing they did very well was to make it feel solidly set in the 80’s: they make reference to the other cults which were discovered in that decade like Jonestown, the dance moves were like watching a Paula Abdul video, and the costuming was all very era-appropriate including questionable vests and Jane Fonda inspired workout wear (designed by Sarah Nixon). It definitely had a similar vibe of the horror movies of the era as well, beginning with the Final Girl telling us the story of what happened and how they survived. And the campy elements in the story were hilarious. “Write My Story” is a fabulous number not only for the song itself, but more so for what’s happening behind the singers in the scene.
Photo by Ally Mackenzie
Not A Cult: The Musical does have a talented cast of triple-threats, including some familiar faces from past Small But Mighty Productions. Bebe Brunjes’ Joy is every bit the cult leader one could ask for. Caitlin Turner is truly terrifying as Olivia-Jade; she’s the bully we all feared taken to the next level. Caitlyn Lopez-Howie’s Lily is adorable, and her chemistry with José Andrés Bordas’ Cain is palpable. Bartu Süer and Jamie Rice are the sickly sweet couple Howie and Simon, and they provide great comedic relief throughout the performance. Maraunda Nunes’ sultry Désirée is a perfect foil to Jim Kelly’s gentle giant Dante. Azaria Shams is mesmerizing as Raegan; it’s no wonder that she has April Rebecca’s adorable MJ and several other campers falling for her. This cast definitely looked like they were having a blast, and their vocal performances were just as sparkling as their characterizations.
Small But Mighty Productions definitely lives up to their name; while they might not have the biggest budgets and the work does need a bit of work, they did achieve what they set out to do. Hopefully with a bit more time and tweaking, Not A Cult: The Musical can become its own cult classic.
Make sure you keep up with Small But Mighty Productions to see what they’ll be doing next at : Small But Mighty | Toronto Queer & Fem Inclusive Production Company
Cover Photo: The Cast of Not A Cult: The Musical. Photo by Ally Mackenzie
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