Perhaps the most fun you’ll ever have in a theatre.
Fuccbois: Live in Concert is fantastic. Produced by Long Con and playing at the Old Fitz as part of their New Works Festival, it presents a caricature of boy bands and juvenile womanisers, also known as ‘fuckboys’. With an amazing cast, stunning musical performances, and outstanding direction, this is a show destined for big things.
Fuccbois: Live in Concert lives up to its title. The Fuccbois are a superstar quartet of young British men, oozing sexual energy, man buns, and plenty of tattoos. The concert in question is the last of their world tour and their last ever, featuring hits like ‘U Up?‘ and ‘Rich Dad‘. The band’s combination of toxic masculinity, big egos, and brash personalities reaches a boiling point, with the members left to pick up the pieces and discover if there is more to fuckboys than, well, being fuckboys.
The cast of Fuccbois are frighteningly good. On top of being incredibly talented singers and dancers, each one captures the stereotype of a boy band member/fuckboy perfectly. Bridie Connell as Brandon (and also playwright) is the creative art school dropout turned rockstar, Megan Walshe as Tyler is the self-absorbed frontman who gyrates far too often, Clara Harrison as Brendan is the fuckboy questioning his personality, and Gabbi Bolt as (another) Brendan is the token Irishman in every British boy band. All conduct themselves with an air-headed arrogance that their characters would see as a compliment rather than an insult. Their incredible chemistry with each other (as well as with their scene-stealing tour manager, played by Olya Gorgowsky) and ability to interact with the audience make for a charismatic ensemble performance, drawing nonstop laughs, sing-alongs, and the perfect amount of cringe.
Connell‘s script, music and lyrics are superb. The musical numbers are a nostalgic throwback to the hits of 2000s and 2010s boy bands, discussing puppy love, fuckboy behaviour, and faux feminism to pumping pop beats. They wouldn’t be out of place on an NSYNC or Backstreet Boys album – in fact, I sneakily suspect an album will come when this show takes off. Direction from Jessica Fallico is clever. She goes great lengths to make the Old Fitz theatre space feel like a concert venue. Lighting design courtesy Tim Hope is dynamic and colourful, posters given to the audience to hold up are a fun interactive element, and an upstage screen displays text and fake celebrity well-wishes (including a notable testimony from Rove McManus). Fallico combines these production elements with the energy of her cast well, leading to a show that is truly electric.
However, for all of Fuccbois‘ strengths, it ignores the elephant in the room. The Fuccbois are clearly a rip-off of One Direction. Their look, songs, accents, and backstory all point to this. But what the show doesn’t address is the dark side of superstardom. The pressure, the isolation, the addictions. Harrison’s character mildly experiences it, but that subplot is resolved far too quickly and not considered in any serious depth. For all the fun and pomp of boy band culture, the more serious side of it is missing. Now of course it would be unfair to ask the show to address recent events. But this dark side has always been present in boy bands. Not seeing it addressed here feels like a missed opportunity. I can’t put it any simpler than this: due to a case of unfortunate timing, the fact the Fuccbois are a quartet now seems eerie instead of coincidental.
Ultimately, Fuccbois: Live in Concert is lots of fun. The music, performances, and direction are impeccable. Though it leaves one stone unturned, there are more than enough other well-executed elements to make this show a must-see.
