Review - The Trail To Oregon! (theSpace on North Bridge)

This year, Gone Rogue Productions presents the European premiere of The Trail To Oregon!, a unique audience participation musical  based on video game The Oregon Trail. which tells the story of a fictional family of mid-19th century American farmers head west in search of a new life, pursued by the malicious Bandit King and his love-struck sidekick Cletus Jones. The audience collectively names each member of the family before they head off on their journey, and in the end, the audience chooses who dies of dysentery before crossing the state line. Thankfully, it’s not as dark as it sounds.
 
The cast of The Trail To Oregon!
Photo credit - Charlie House Media
Written by Jeff Blim, Matt Lang, and Nick Lang of Starkid Productions, the American theatre company known for their cult parody musicals A Very Potter Musical and A Very Potter Sequel, the script is full of sarky dialogue and broad, often crude jokes. At times the plot feels like a bit of a slog, much like the journey to Oregon itself, but plenty of wild side quests and wacky characters appear throughout to keep the story rolling along.

The cast are game for a laugh and work extremely well together. In particular, Josh Vaatstra plays the ineffectual patriarch of the family with a permanently knitted brow, and is instantly endearing. Meanwhile, Bella Norris gives a hilariously deadpan performance as the family’s 8 year old son, who either eats everything he can get his hands on, or throws it off the wagon to see if it bounces. 
 
The cast of The Trail To Oregon!
Photo credit - Charlie House Media
The whole cast is clearly very close, and their camaraderie is tangible at all times. There are moments when this amity is extended to the audience also, allowing the nudge-nudge-wink-wink dialogue to reach its fullest effect, but it seems as if they need a little more time to bed in and get to grips with the audience participation to really allow the comedy to soar. Additionally, in some moments clarity is an issue as the cast barrel through the snippy dialogue at top speed, leaving little room for the jibes to land. The script relies on a nonstop barrage of witticisms and call-backs, and so rushing can leave the jokes falling flat, but this is certainly something that will settle in as the Edinburgh run gets going.

The company’s small band, directed by Ben McQuigg, masters the twangy score well, and the musicianship of the cast must also be commended, as they are often called upon to play in the band when not on stage themselves. The songs are certainly fun if not totally memorable, and they allow each cast member their moment to shine. Georgia Harper as the mother of the family is given a particularly impressive moment to shine with When The World's At Stake, a surprisingly grounded ballad which stands out against the rest of The Trail To Oregon!’s all-out silliness.

All in all, despite some flat moments, Gone Rogue Productions’ The Trail To Oregon! is an enjoyable musical comedy brought to life by a keen cast of performers and musicians. Worth catching a couple of times if you want to see all of the alternative endings. Come prepared to shout out and get involved and you’ll have a great time!