Review: Make Good - The Post Office Scandal (Omnibus Theatre / UK Tour)

Review by Daz Gale

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It was the TV drama that gripped the nation when it was broadcast earlier this year, and now the shocking true story behind The Post Office Scandal has been turned into a musical as Make Good pitches up in London for a short stint as part of a wider UK tour.  With the story still fresh in peoples minds and still making the news as the fight for justice for the subpostmasters continues, would this musical prove to be first class?

Make Good tells the stories of the subpostmasters who lost everything due to the Horizon IT scandal where they were wrongly accused of theft due to financial shortfalls owing to software bugs. Described as the gravest miscarriage of justice in British history, more than 900 subposters were convicted from 1999 to 2015, leading to not just the loss of their jobs but bankruptices, the loss of family and even suicides. Though many of these convictions have now been overturned, many are still waiting for compensation.

This production from Pentabus and New Perspectives demonstrates a beautiful partnership, furthering their values of touring to isolated communities and impactful storytelling. Given the subpostmasters met in village halls to share their experiences and seek solidarity in their quest for justice, it feels fitting that Make Good is predominantly touring across village halls up and down the country in what must be a poignant and extremely fitting experience. The exception to this is London where it is playing the Omnibus Theatre in Clapham, as noted in a pretty hilarious opening speech from performer Ed Gaughan.

The book by Jeanie O’Hare recounts the story with a sensitive touch that never strays far away from the humanity aspect of the story. By meeting a series of characters affected and learning more about their stories, the result is an intimate exploration into a dark part of recent history – a story which many were unaware of until Mr Bates Vs The Post Office brought the story to wider attention this year. Mr Bates does make one or two fleeting appearances throughout the show, but it is other subpostmasters that get the most focus.

In a show that only wants to make good, the biggest shortfall of this production is in the music itself. Though harmless and inoffensive for the most part, I felt it didn’t further the story along as it should and created a disjointed effect with songs appearing seemingly randomly and long periods with none at all. There is a sweetness to opening number ‘You Are Not The Only One’, a motif repeated multiple times throughout, made all the more touching with the inclusion of a local choir joining in on key parts. However, as a musical, it wasn’t as well put-together as I would have hoped and lessened the overall quality mainly prominent from the writing. I had the sense this would be a stronger and more cohesive production if it was a play, and that’s coming from someone who believes anything and everything can be made better with the addition of some songs.

The hard-working cast of four take on a multitude of roles throughout, with Ed Gaughan immersing us into the world immediately with a personal opening speech completely obliterating any trace of a fourth wall and ensuring connection is found immediately. A charismatic and naturally funny performer, he took a back seat for the majority of the show though had some great voiceover moments. Charlotte Delima as Indira and Samuel Gosrani both delight in their performances, working together to create a rich world feeling far grander than that of the four performers filling the stage, while Victoria Brazier gives a heartfelt and earne-st portrayal of Elsie in a standout turn. Their intimate performances feel authentic and are a fitting tribute to those who actually went through this awful situation,

Make Good is a charming show and one that clearly can do a lot of good. Bringing the story to different audiences helps to raise awareness and is done so without exploiting the situation. The work of both Pentabus and New Perspectives is not only admirable but crucial with their ethos of delivering bodies of new work to audiences all over the country one that I have the utmost respect for. It is unfortunate, however, that Make Good isn’t quite the consistently high quality show I had hoped for. Though enjoyable enough as a story (and as a play for that matter), as a musical it doesn’t quite deliver.

Make Good – The Post Office Scandal continues touring until 1st December. Dates and tickets at https://pentabus.co.uk/make-good-post-office-scandal

Photos by Andrew Billington