The Fix review: A musical take on US politics that’s almost as entertaining as the real thing
The long awaited splicing of House of Cards and hyper-camp musical theatre, The Fix is a boisterous show about one family’s desperate attempts to lay claim to the highest and most oval-shaped office in the land. When presidential hopeful Reed Chandler corks it during a scandalous act of extramarital sex-doing, the weight of his political dynasty falls on the shoulders of his garbage son Cal, who’s subsequently groomed for office by his calculating uncle and scheming mother.
Performed at the newly opened Union Theatre in Southwark – which was so incredibly warm I suspect the venue might be doubling as a sauna – The Fix is a hot vaudeville parade that charts Cal’s upwards trajectory, through his stint in the army, his voice coaching and his wavering encounters with the press.
There’s energy to spare in this giant performance, crammed as it is beneath the rail arches in this tiny theatre. However, clever use of lighting and space create room for the powerful choreography and a handful of standout numbers, and despite feeling like the entire thing was taking place on the surface on the sun, the sweat-soaked cast put in an energised show.
A shallow rake (that is, the incline of the seats) obscures an unlikely amount of floor-acting, but if you’re mostly into the top halves of people The Fix is a musical take on US politics that's almost as entertaining as the real thing.