Fly More Than You Fall

Unlike it's central characters, Fly More Than You Fall isn't afraid to approach uncomfortable themes of grief, illness and navigating loss as a young adult. However, much like our protagonist, Malia, there are several missed opportunities to explore uncomfortable moments in depth and the show instead focuses on progressing with a light-hearted approach. Should this new musical, making its UK debut at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant, have taken more opportunity to sit in moments of sadness, the overall impact of and themes of the show may have had better payoff.

Despite this, the overall experience is largely positive, featuring a catchy contemporary soundtrack by Nat Zegree and strong performances. The narrative resonates with anyone who has faced grief, skilfully employing Malia, an aspiring author's, fictional characters, Willow and Flynn, to represent the conflicting emotions that accompany loss. Through Malia's story, the musical conveys a comforting message: to "fly more than you fall." Yet, I was initially concerned that the show might gloss over its heavy subject matter, particularly given Malia's tendency toward toxic positivity, as highlighted by her father in the first 30 seconds of the show. While the production makes commendable attempts to explore grief from multiple angles, it often retreats to a simplistic view of moving forward. This may be an interpretation of a healthy experience of grieving with the help of Malia's supportive friends, but her relationship with her father, Paul, complicates this narrative. Their journey to reconcile after losing Malia's mother feels uneven; Paul's erratic behaviour and inconsistent support make it difficult to believe in their emotional resolution at the end of the show. This could be a manifestation of the characters own grief having lost their partner but the delivery of the character felt unfair and somewhat villainised from the offset making it a struggle to truly feel the tugs at the heartstrings their reconciliation perhaps intended to create. The direction of the ensemble as they portray Malia's friends and classmates also feels overly simplified and a cliched, millennials view of generation alpha. But as I have found has become a trope with a few contemporary musicals depicting this new generation, throwing a few 'slays' and 'spill the teas' appears to cover all bases.

The ensemble and wider cast do generally pull the shows material to its extremes in making it their own, with stand out performances from both younger starlets and household names. Keala Settle, whom needs no introduction, is back on London's stages in another stellar performance as Jennifer proving her ability to demonstrate complex emotions sensitively and with such care that you feel each pang alongside her as she navigates her characters own death. The way the soundtrack blends with the book in progressing the story is also played excellently with smooth, honey-like vocals between Settle and Robyn Rose-Li (Malia) that contributes to building and understanding their mother-daughter relationship. Robyn Rose-Li also does excellently in showing her characters external 'I'm fine' persona with glimpses to an audience of how her world is falling around her with help from Maddison Bulleyment as Willow. Bulleyment's performance kept me invested in the journey of Malia's character and looking forward to each time they were on stage. With clean, crisp vocals and a magnetic stage presence I was drawn to the character with each humorous entrance (confetti included!). Max Gill as Caleb and Edward Chitticks as Flynn also were shining lights of this production and delivered the most from their roles respectively.

The design of this production was also clear in its intentions of bringing colour to what can feel like a dark world in times of hurt, even though the pastel baby pinks and baby blues did definitely contribute to what at times felt like the childish tones of the show. The set design by Stewart J. Charlesworth was simple but effective in establishing both Malia's world and that of her fictional works and tied neatly in with the costume design, also Charlesworth, that also worked cohesively with the characters in each of these settings.

Ultimately, "Fly More Than You Fall" presents a vibrant yet somewhat superficial take on complex themes of grief and loss. While it offers a relatable narrative and strong performances, particularly from Keala Settle and Robyn Rose-Li, the show often prioritises a light-hearted approach over deeper emotional exploration. This decision leaves some poignant moments feeling underdeveloped, particularly in the portrayal of Malia's relationship with her father. The production is visually appealing and features a catchy soundtrack, yet it sometimes leans too heavily into clichés and a simplified view of young adult experiences. Overall, the musical is enjoyable and has its merits, but a bolder embrace of its darker themes could have enhanced its emotional depth and lasting impact.

© Tristram Kenton