Make Good: The Post Office Scandal A New Musical - Review

Reviewed by Chloe Athalia
Tickets were gifted in return for an honest review.

Make Good: The Post Office Scandal is a new musical by Jeanie O’Hare (book) and Jim Fortune (music and lyrics) and is directed by Elle While based on the gravest miscarriage of justice in British history. It has been three years in the making and is a co-produced by Pentabus and New Perspectives who set out to share the story of how Postmasters were the “pillars of our society” who for years have been entrusted to hold on to so many details of our lives, yet when it came to trusting them for honesty and integrity, the Post Office let them down. The writers certainly achieved what they set out to do and have produced a captivating and emotional story that draws the audience in.

(L - R) Victoria Brazier, Samuel Gosrani, and Charlotte Delima. Photo by Andrew Billington

As the historical story unfolds, we, as audience members, are drawn in to each of the character’s personal stories and the historical truths that they lived through. We learn the back stories and their family life, drawing us into their lives and stories. The cast is made up of four actors, all on stage for the duration of the show, each playing a multitude of different characters. Clever and effective references to the different characters were made through examples such as simple changes in outfit, a small prop or a change in accent. 

 
The music was provided by 3 musicians, one of them also performing as an actor, talented in playing a variety of instruments sitting at the side of the stage. It was good to be able to watch the musicians as they played instruments that were more unusual in a Musical Theatre show. We enjoyed hearing a harp, accordion, a banjo and there was a great effect created through rhythms played on a typewriter. There was a good use of musical silence and solo instruments to create emotion. A community choir is also used to enhance the performance. They sat in the audience and added beautiful harmonies to the vocals.
 
There were nostalgic references to help indicate the timeline of events to the audience which was particularly effective and touching to the older audience. They would also have more reflective memories from the world transferring from paper to the digital world, being touched by how the world has changed and affected their lives.

Ed Gaughan as Postman. Photo by Andrew Billington

In terms of the set, it was simple and effective - the inside a post office. The staging included a moveable desk and stacking chairs that were used effectively to represent a multitude of objects in different scenes. Again, the lighting on the set was simple, utilising colour changing lights on the shelving units to create changeable atmospheres.
 
A key moment of the show was the performance of the song ‘Shame’, singing about how the characters were feeling after having been taken to court and having their name dragged down. The song had a strong vocal melody, powerful words, full harmonies and the actor really sold the story through their performance, sharing about her feelings of her downfall and how shameful she felt. 
 
There were some snippets of comic drama including a lighthearted dance to musical references from Please Mr Postman. The show also called for audience participation. During the introduction of the show we were taught the chorus of the song ‘What Is Age?’. It was a fun moment to join in with this entertaining song whilst the actors presented as pensioners visiting the post office, waiting for their pension. This lightened mood soon disappeared as we were drawn back into the sadness and heartache of this real life story.
 
In summary this show is simple yet effective.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Make Good: The Post Office Scandal A New Musical plays on tour with dates through until 1st December 2024. Visit https://pentabus.co.uk/make-good-post-office-scandal for full details.

Charlotte Delima as Indira. Photo by Andrew Billington