We’ve all been inside a public toilet. This one’s not too bad; one of the three cubicles is out of action, there’s no soap in the dispenser, and with those stairs on entry you can take a running jump if you were hoping for disabled access. But it looks truly authentic. It even smells authentic. “Can you get piss-scented joss sticks?” queried Mrs Chrisparkle. Apparently you can.

Stroud and Notes have developed their hugely successful original 60-minute version of Public the Musical which received high acclaim at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe (including an enthusiastic five stars from me) into an extended 90-minute version without interval. The set up remains the same. Four strangers, with busy schedules and very different outlooks on life, end up locked in a public toilet with no means of escape: Andrew, an aggressive finance executive and essentially unreconstructed neanderthal where it comes to modern thinking; Zo, an activist and progressive content creator who knows how to be PC but not how to empathise; Laura, non-binary, preparing for their wedding tomorrow without enthusiasm and fearing the worst; and Finlay, desperate to keep his low-paid job, worried about his grandmother’s health and neurotic about his own.

In the original version, they knew they had to wait for an hour to be released. In the new version, they can’t alert anyone to their plight and have no idea how long they will be there – and it takes till next morning to regain their freedom. In that time, they have to get to know one another, and learn to live with each other’s opposing views, in order to survive the intervening hours. It’s a simple and brilliant concept, something everyone can imagine happening to them and wonder how they would cope.

It’s been three years in the additional development, and I can’t help but think it’s been overthought and overworked. What once was punchy and direct now feels drawn out and stuffed with padding. The extra 30 minutes hasn’t been put to use to discover more about the characters, but instead too much time is spent on largely irrelevant (albeit funny) sequences involving accidental drug taking, or a song about reading the graffiti on the walls. Indeed, by limiting the lock-in to a real time sixty minutes in the original production, it focussed in on their plight; having it open-ended almost puts off having to make decisions or alliances. The ending, when it comes, doesn’t point towards any solid conclusion to their experience; in fact, if ever a show ended with a whimper rather than a bang, it’s this.

Whilst all the characters go on a journey to an extent, it’s only Laura who undergoes true character development, understanding that their future lies not with a cheating partner but with being independent and strong. Andrew’s redemption and progression to becoming a fully paid-up member of the wokerati feels artificial and way too easy. In the shorter version of the show, his confusion over misgendering was not only genuinely funny but also bang on the nail as to why pronouns are important; here it seems to have much less significance. Zo already accepts that she has a long way to go, which is why she has weekly therapy. Finlay doesn’t seem to have a journey set up for himself, other than general survival.

Amy Jane Cook’s set is outstanding and hugely convincing. The songs are all well written and instantly entertaining if not memorable, and the performances by the four actors are all excellent. Only Ivano Turco, as Finlay, seems to have the occasional battle with the musicians to get his lyrics fully heard (something wrong with the balance there), and his character is the least well delineated. The best musical performance is by Matt Corner as Andrew, who delivers the best song of the show, Missing Pieces, with a superb combination of power and emotion. He’s also very effective at conveying Andrew’s argumentative and arrogant character. Grace Towning is very convincing as the always right (although always left) Zo, never allowing anyone to contradict her progressive assumptions; and Cole Dennis is fantastic at expressing all Laura’s self-doubt, their constant need to please, never putting themselves first until they finally see the light. It’s a very nice touch in the writing that none of the other characters even remotely guess that the wedding Laura is attending in France is theirs.

Perhaps we had too much expectation, having enjoyed the Fringe version so much, but the current incarnation of Public the Musical doesn’t really do itself justice, despite the best efforts of its engaging and talented cast. Still, there is a lot to enjoy, and with some further rewriting and pruning, it may still have a future!

Three-sy Does It!