Selected Saturdays, Komedia Brighton
If you’re a musical theatre fan who likes a good singalong, a bit of dressing up and absolutely no shame about throwing yourself into the Time Warp, the Mystery Musicals Day Party at Komedia in Brighton is a seriously fun way to spend an afternoon.
Each event has a mystery theme with clues provided. This week was a Rocky Horror Show themed day party that brought together songs, dancing, audience games and big screen fun which the audience lapped up.
This day party had a relaxed feel from the moment you walk in. There’s seating available, room to get up and dance, a bar serving drinks and a food menu available to order from. The bar staff were really friendly too, which always helps when you’re settling in for an afternoon of singing at the top of your voice.
The Rocky Horror Show theme is the obvious star of the show, with the film’s iconic songs playing on the big screen and the words on screen so everyone can join in. Even if you know every song by heart, having the lyrics there makes it much easier to go for it without worrying about missing a line. This isn’t an event where you’re expected to sit quietly and listen. You’re encouraged to sing, dance and get involved, so the whole room quickly becomes part of the show. The audience were a little shy at first but soon got into their stride.
When the Time Warp comes on, it was impossible to stay in your seat. People got up, danced along and threw themselves into the famous moves, turning the screening into a full on group singalong. Sweet Transvestite got a similar reaction with a big cheer for the late and great Tim Curry.
The show was hosted by Lee Peart, whose role as comedian and presenter gave the afternoon a great sense of fun. Rather than feeling like you’re watching a film from a seat in a cinema, you’re constantly being encouraged to join in and become part of what’s happening. There are audience games and opportunities to take part in dance offs and lip sync battles, so there’s always the chance that you could find yourself dragged into the action.
There are prizes too for things such as best dressed, best singers and best dancers. That adds an extra excuse to make a bit of effort with your outfit. Rocky Horror Show is hardly a theme where subtlety is required, so it was the perfect excuse to go all out if you fancied dressing up.
The venue itself worked really well for this type of event. Komedia is a famous Brighton name and its central location makes it easy to get to. Having a mixture of seating and space to dance was useful because you’re not on your feet for the entire event, but you could get up whenever a song demands it. And with the bar open throughout, drinks were easy to grab when you needed a quick refresh between singalongs.
There was also food available to buy, which means you don’t have to turn up having eaten beforehand. The menu included French fries, salt and pepper squid, fried chicken wings, vegetable samosas, breaded halloumi fries, nachos and ice cream, among other options. It was a good selection for a party where you might fancy something savoury between songs or want to finish off the afternoon with something sweet.
The themed decorations from Flamingo Styling added another nice touch and helped the venue feel connected to the Rocky Horror Show with a backdrop for photos. Combined with the music, host and audience participation, there was a definite sense that you’ve stepped into a proper themed event rather than just turned up to watch a film.
Once The Rocky Horror Show songs ended, the musical theatre party kept going with a huge selection of songs from some of the biggest shows around including Grease, Mamma Mia, Hamilton, Six, High School Musical, Wicked and more with a list on the wall for requests.
It was a great excuse to get everyone back on their feet. What makes the Mystery Musicals Day Party at Komedia work so well is that you don’t need to be a serious theatre fan to enjoy it. You don’t need the best singing voice in the room and you certainly don’t need to know every dance move. You can sing loudly, join in when you know the words, have a go at the games or just enjoy watching everyone else throw themselves into it. There’s no pressure to take part in everything, but there are lots of opportunities if you fancy being part of the action.
Most importantly, it gives you a very good excuse to forget about being sensible for a few hours and belt out some of your favourite musical numbers with a room full of people who are just as happy to sing along. Just don’t blame us when you’re still doing the Time Warp on the walk home!
Komedia Mystery Musicals Day Party review – 5 stars
