Naked Boys Singing

Review by Mark Kearney 

Allow me to preface this review by saying that the following paragraphs contain more than your average serving of penile puns. So if barely-disguised allusions to the male appendage give you the willies, look away now.

And to prevent any Freud fans leaping to suggest my approach stems from some deep-seated sexual frustration, let's face it: Naked Boys Singing (NBS) loves a dick joke. In fact, the off-Broadway cabaret hit is one big dedication to doodles.    

Yep, the premise of NBS is that simple: to titillate it's audience with five verile young men who showboat across the stage in the nuddy, singing songs about, well, being in the nuddy. 

Sounds like a night out that might prick up the ears of the 3 G's - Grannies, Girls and Gays - doesn't it?

Not entirely. This is an solely camp affair (the show even kicks off with an extended gag about gay dating app Grindr, a reference that seemed to go over the head of most of the Malthouse's patrons!) 

The evening continues in this somewhat befuddling pattern, often leaving the viewer unsure what to think or where to look.

There is the occasional moment worthy of arousing audience interest. Take the dancing, for example.

These young fellas - and their old fellas, too - are treated to some first-class choreography from Adam Williams of So You Think You Can Dance fame. Cheeky routines are well-executed by the quintet, all of whom prove to be nifty movers. 

But however perky the dance steps, vocal performances are almost universally flaccid. The large majority of songs fall flat in both the pitch and energy stakes. Performing sans microphones - afterall, where would the battery packs go? - means the performers often battle to be heard above the able accompaniment of pianist Michael Bourkas.    

One exception to this rule is Nicholas Gentile, who is endowed with a voice that fills the Beckett Theatre to its brim. His Act One ballad - and its second act reprise - is the standout number in NBS. Gentile definitely deserves to be cock-a-hoop over this outing.

And on that note, fellow cast member Elijah Rohner should also be commended on his overall body of work (pun very much intended).  

But the stripped-back song cycle all just feels like a bit of an excuse for these boys to rock out with their cocks out. At the end of the day, Naked Boys Singing has little more to often than a cheap gimmick that, while ballsy, lacks real meat.