The Gathering

So-called "boutique" musical theatre - that is to say, productions that are small-scale, independently financed and locally cast - is in rude health in Melbourne. In stark contrast to the play-it-safe attitudes of the big budget presenters, this plucky, often grassroots side of the sector shares the daring spirit of off-Broadway, staging lesser known gems and newly penned shows.

The abundance of boutique companies in Melbourne shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who knows what a wealth of recently graduated talent and manageably sized venues this city boasts. Even with such a glut of indie musical theatre on offer, Vic Theatre Company stands out from the crowd for its pioneering grit, resourcefulness, and bravely innovative programming. Since the company's first production in 2015, it has shown a steady increase in its ambitions year on year. Its latest venture, a mini-season of two productions running simultaneously at Fortyfivedownstairs, can easily be considered the zenith of its accomplishments to date, marking a watershed moment for Vic Theatre Co as a consistently impressive presence within Melbourne's entertainment offering.

High praise indeed, and deservedly so, but artistic risk taking - a defining quality of Vic Theatre Company's ethos - can also be a gamble, and presenting the world premiere of an untried show by unknown writers is far from a safe bet. Belinda Jenkin and Will Hannagan's The Gathering, receiving its world premiere production here, is the duo's attempt to "write a musical for and about our generation," although what generation that is precisely is difficult to discern. It tells the story of a group of old friends, summoned for a party in the suburban fringes of the city by a long lost pal who has been missing for five years. All in their early twenties, they dutifully schlep out to a dilapidated house at the far-flung edge of town, where they give it a red hot go to have a good time. Unfortunately, their attempts to get wasted (and play Jenga) are derailed by the literal spectre of their unresolved conflicts, unanswered questions and unrequited feelings.

The production itself has plenty going for it. The cast (Oliva Charalambous, Daniel Cosgrove, Hannah Sullivan McInerney, Joel Granger, Shannen Alyce Quan and Daniel Assetta) are all familiar faces to Melbourne's musical theatre lovers and deliver solid, well-voiced performances. Each of them gets a moment in the spotlight and it's a genuine pleasure to see artists as skilled as these taking full advantage of the opportunity to shine. Fortyfivedownstairs already fits the bill for a slightly run down looking building so the setting could hardly be more apt, and Daniel Harvey's patchwork of threadbare carpets adds a nod to the fractured lives of the characters.

But a reliable cast and well-conceived design can only carry a production so far, and unfortunately, this show has several shortcomings that are difficult to overlook. Musically, it's competently built and well realised under the direction of MD Daniel Puckey, but there's a scattershot of styles lacking any clear identity. It's music that says a great deal about what these two composers like, but very little about who they are. I might go as far as to say this isn't so much a musical as it is a collection of songs; individual numbers are relatively accomplished, especially power ballads such as Sweet December Feeling and Hair So Long, but as a collection, they are too mismatched to be a cohesive whole. Often the aesthetic of the score is skewed towards a rather traditional vernacular. This isn't necessarily a problem, but for a show that aims to evoke the atmosphere of a boozed-up house party in 2016, The Gathering rarely comes anywhere near more contemporary musical styles that might give it the freshness and relevance it lacks.

The rambling identity of the music is mirrored by the incoherent narrative, which is at once both difficult to follow and yet extremely cliched. Using a party as a springboard for dramatic possibilities is a tried and true trope, but the story this set-up initiates has to have something to compel an audience to engage, and neither the limp particulars of this plot, nor the hackneyed characters within it, have enough substance to hold a viewer's attention let alone inspire the kind of emotional response Hannigan and Jenkin are clearly hoping for. The cast, directed by Chris Parker, do what they can with the book, but despite some well-heeled acting, the interactions often feel wincingly forced. Vic Theatre Company deserves due credit for supporting the premiere of a new work, as these opportunities are sadly few and far between, but The Gathering will need to go back to the drawing board for a significant overhaul if it is to have a second outing.

Vic Theatre Company presents The Gathering at Fortyfivedownstairs until 11 Dec.