Review: The Producers

‘If you liked our show tell everyone but, if you think it stinks keep your big mouth shut,’ sings the full company during the curtain call of Patrick Marber's production of Broadway classic The Producers. A bold request of any reviewer, but one that need not be a concern, as indicated by the fact these lyrics can only just be made out above rapturous cheers and applause. This is just one of many ‘meta’ lines and jokes to be expected in a musical about Broadway musical producers.

In the first London revival of the show since its original run in 2004, when Mel Brooks adapted his original 1967 film into a musical for Broadway and the West End, we see our titular producers Max Bialystock (Andy Nyman) and Leo Bloom (Marc Antolin) endeavour to put on the worst show in town after discovering they can make more money from a failure than a hit.