Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester – until 10th February. Reviewed by Marcus Richardson
4.5****
Toy Boy Diaries is a new musical following the life of a mature woman who has a taste for younger men. This wacky plot has sensual musical numbers and even more sexual dancing. One word to describe this play is original, I’ve never seen anything like this before.
The cast of 5 made up of three handsome young men who play multiple characters to whom the character Lily (Johanne Murdock) has multiple encounters both awkward and sexual. Lily’s best friend Penny (Nicola Blackman) is just as wacky and wild as the plot giving a light-hearted comic relief and innocence to the raunchy play. The Toy Boys, Matt Beveridge, Sharif Afifi and Alistair Higgins, took on many character each with difference personality’s and ages. When they were not characters they were the Toy Boys with white t-shirts and black jeans, they helped fuel Lily’s imagination to her desires and fantasies. Murdock who played Lily, gave the character a lot of depth and passion, she was both funny to watch on stage and was complex enough to like the character instead of being a stereotype.
The set and costume made for quick scene changes that didn’t interrupt the play and when costume changes happened a fair few of them happened on stage, the actors certainly weren’t shy about being in their underwear. The musical, had a good array of songs, most of which made me laugh, especially the song naughty boy in which Lily is trying out S&M for the first time. The whole play was a hilarious comedy and it’s uniqueness play a huge part in this. Throughout the show you will be wondering what on earth you are watching.
I found the show to be very engaging with its humour, as I hardly see it in other shows. I absolutely loved the first act as it was a roller coaster of sex heartbreak and more sex, the second act seemed to be the same but with different songs. The play is at Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester until the 10th of February, so if you’re in the area I would recommend this show and I advise you not to bring your mother as your face would be red through the whole show