MOD

It's always an option during the Fringe for the hungry young critic to use the plethora of shows to target a genre that they previously had little knowledge about, and bone up on the current state of the art. Of course, I don't do this - I just want dance and more dance, with the odd bit of physical theatre on the side - and encourage Antony Sameroff to do everything else. Since he is a musician, he tends to be better placed to comment on musicals (until such time as his process as an artist interferes with his ability to adopt a critical persona. Then I'll sack him so he can write his own successful musicals). However, in the meantime, I am getting quite excited by the number of American companies reaching Edinburgh this August - I take it the dollar is strong, or they've got over being scared of travelling by air.

The Infinity Theatre rooted their musical in the early 1960s: MOD is about the US invasion by UK beat bands. Seen from the perspective of a young man inflamed by the possibilities of rock'n'roll, its original score and songs are inspired by early Beatles' era rock'n'roll.


Paul Andrew Perez, the Book writer of MOD is enthusiastic about MOD's visit to the Fringe. "MOD is just plain fun," he says. "It features a young, energetic cast and a truly funny story surrounded by a litany of catchy pop tunes. It promises to leave you smiling.  Besides with lovely girls in Catholic High School uniforms how can you go wrong?"


I would like to distance myself from the last comment - as a teacher myself, and an appropriately objective critic, I cannot be swayed by lovely girls or boys - and focus instead on my theme this week: the way that drama can recreate the past, while remaining relevant to the present. Perez notes that "We have taken great care to present a show that is true to the era with fast, energetic pop songs and the excitement that Beatlemania brought to the U.S.  It will appeal to any who are nostalgic about the early 60s and The British Invasion. Yet the themes
are full of teen angst and the music is appealing to teens."

And the story may appear to be a typical boy meets girl romance, the edge of satire avoids the saccharine aftertaste of the 1960s' own rock'n'roll musicals. "The music merely heightens the comedy," laughs Perez. And in sharp contrast to my own cynicism about the Fringe, Perez is delighted to have reached Scotland. 


"The Fringe is always receptive to new work and provides a great arena to develop your piece. MOD is a play that is ready to take the next step in development and has garnished a lot of interest among the regional scene in the U.S. One of the reasons we chose the Fringe is because it is far from the pressures of The NY theatre scene."