Being a few years too young to have experienced at first hand the glamour and extravagance of the New Romantic movement, and to have followed Boy George's rise to fame and painful fall from grace, I wasn't quite sure what to expect from his musical Taboo. Set in the vibrant club scene of the early 1980's, Taboo tells a familiar story of love and betrayal alongside that of Boy George's early career, and against the wider backdrop of the New Romantic movement itself.

A mocking announcement is made as the show begins, that any reference to real people is entirely deliberate, and sure enough, besides Boy George himself, played by Stephen Ashfield, several key figures of the era make an appearance. Drew Jaymson is wonderful as the club organiser Philip Sallon, engaging with and mocking the audience in extravagant drag, giving a few minutes of rather glorious pantomime. I half expected him to start throwing out sweets. The real show-stealer, however, was Mark Little as the Australian designer and performer Leigh Bowery, appearing in extraordinary outfits and make-up, and delivering witty songs with energy and accomplishment. The rest of the cast gave great performances, and although some of the songs lacked that certain something, the singing was good, and the dialogue funny and affecting.

There's a lot to think about in this musical. Questions are raised about art, the fickle nature of fame and the changes it can wreak on the personalities of those it touches, drug abuse and sexuality. Of course, what was shocking twenty years ago is much more widely accepted now, although to my surprise I did hear a man in the row behind me gasp at a rather tame gay kiss. To be honest, I don't know what else he was expecting; as a young man I spoke to in the interval put it, 'It's not exactly Miss Saigon.'

Taboo, while perhaps trying to say too much to be the slickest of shows, nevertheless still sweeps the audience along as a good musical should. I really enjoyed the evening, and by the laughs throughout the performance and the applause at the end of the performance, so did the rest of the audience. This is definitely worth seeing, all the more so, I imagine, if you had the luck to experience the 80s first time around.

Susie Cogan, 29th March 2004