That drama starts early on the play, and as the opening scenes are important to later parts of the story, it would have been great had they just been a little bit clearer in their execution. One particular point of confusion for me, along with other members of the audience near me, was when Angela's parents, Ken (Tony Pearce) and Viv (Kerryn Smith) are arguing in the lounge. Designed as a flashback scene perhaps, it was hard to follow, with a teenage Angela clearly visible in her room but her parents discussing, and talking to, a much younger, invisible Angela in the lounge. This confusion grew when Ken picked up the imaginary younger child in a way that I wasn't sure he was picking up a puppy, a baby, or the 8-year-old we were told it actually was.
This one misstep was soon forgotten however as the storyline picked up pace and the actors showed us exactly why they had been cast in their particular roles. Michelle Rawlinson's Angela was perfectly played, switching between moody teen, wannabe pop star and a more grown-up and reflective Angela convincingly throughout.
The role of Angela's best friend, the irrepressible Maxine, is played by Alex Sheehan, who is perfectly cast in the role. The programme tells us it is Alex's first time on stage, but it certainly shouldn't be her last judging by her standout performance in this production.
Maxine is meant to be a motor-mouthed, vulgar yet lovable teen, and Alex delivers on this. Maxine undoubtedly also has some of the best lines in the play and Alex makes sure they aren't wasted. The energy she puts into her character pays off, and her facial expressions are spot-on throughout.
That energy is well matched by Michelle, and the show's most enjoyable moments come when the two of them are on stage together, whether they are dancing, lip-syncing or fighting.
Another one to watch in this production is Tyler McGlone, who plays the monosyllabic and curiously named Monkey, a musician with a Flintstones fetish. He might not have many words in the play, but Tyler doesn't let that stop him putting on a fantastic performance and creating a character the audience can fall in love with.
The teenage characters get the best lines in the play, while Angela's parents are left with what is, at times, a dated and one-dimensional script. They are given the challenge of portraying years of marital disharmony in just one quick opening scene, and they do their best with the script they have. The issue isn't the actors but the script itself, which doesn't give their characters enough depth or stage time to develop their characters more sympathetically.
Despite this, when they are on stage, they give it their all, with Tony Pearce making a convincingly awkward absent father when he reappears in the second act. Kerryn Smith's Viv is sure to tug on the heartstrings of every single audience member as she confronts the heartache the second act is focused on. In these later scenes, it is Kerryn's turn to shine as she takes the audience with her as she struggles to find her way. Every nervous action of hers is well played on stage and her facial expressions and body movements tell the story better than the script alone could.
Staging is simplistic yet effective in the main, although some of the scene changes are slightly too long to be perfectly smooth. Lighting is well done throughout, again simple in appearance but well thought out and effective. The wardrobe team have done a great job, making sure the highs, and more frequent lows, of 90s fashion are well represented on stage.
Overall, under the skilled direction of Sharren Read, the cast and backstage crew have put together a play that outshines its original script and will take the audience on an emotional journey. Don't be fooled by the title or the promise of bubblegum pop, it is a gritty and sad tale that will leave you wiping the tears away even as you find yourself singing along to that bubblegum music.