Although there is not one weak link in the terrific cast, who deservedly early a standing ovation, ultimately there are two main drawbacks with Yeast Nation which, like much of evolution, are interconnected.
The show has some great songs. Love Equals Pain is like a great 80s pop song with some soulful trimmings. You Don’t Know a Thing About Love is such a sweet sentimental song despite the realisation you are watching a puppet sing a duet. The songs are mostly big belters and the cast give them their all. Yeast Nation writers Hollmann and Kotis are certainly not shy of a crescendo. The trouble is after the umteenth number of fortissimo, full-throated big finish, the score becomes bombastic and a bit wearying. To use a yeast-based product analogy, you might fancy a cup or two of Kombucha but you wouldn’t want to drink an urn of the stuff.
The second issue is the length. Currently running at 2 hours 20, it far outstays its welcome. Apart from the development of the Act 1 story twist, there is little in the second Act that you haven’t seen or heard already. Unfortunately director Benji Sperring has dialled everything up to eleven exactly when nuance would be most welcome. It’s theatre with caps-lock on.
Some judicious cuts and allowing the cast (and musical accompaniment) to take their foot off the throttle occasionally might let it flourish into a fun, quirky leftfield show. Yeast Nation would always be a bit of a Marmite proposition but, despite the performers’ best efforts, it currently remains stuck in the mud.