Mayhem's production for October 2022 was another fantastic success, with a wonderful NODA review and more recognition:

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• WINNER! Best Youth Production - Mayhem Youth Theatre Group for Our House

• WINNER! Best Youth Choreographer - Liam Phelps for Our House

• WINNER! Outstanding Rising Star - Dylan Pritchard for Good Joe in Our House

• Best Youth Performance - Jack Davies for Bad Joe in Our House

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Some highlights from the NODA review:

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"A complicated story, yet the musical numbers take over, and it can be difficult to stage with a large cast, no problem for Mayhem. This fantastic cast hit the stage with their energy and enthusiasm projecting to the appreciative audience who raised the roof."

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"The choreography by Choreographer Liam Phelps was cleverly devised  for this large cast with original and creative swift moves within all cast abilities."

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"MD Ruth Friend excelled keeping the pace which carried the action, with her exceptional band of musicians and Accompanist Helen Stidolph. A vital component of any Madness band is the saxophone, it has to lead so often, and musician Amy Rutter was an outstanding Saxophonist."

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"Mr Pressman impressively  played by Lucy Edmunds. Bad Joe, very well played with skilful interpretation by Jack Davies, his alter ego Good Joe was played brilliantly by ultra cool newcomer to Mayhem Dylan Pritchard, with exceptional stage presence. His duet with talented Erin Crossley ‘It Must Be Love‘ was very special. Many good performances in this show including: Dad - Archie Cowton, Mum - Megan Fairman-Foster, Emmo - Matthew Campbell, Lewis - Sam Fairman-Foster, Reecey - TG Friend, Billie -Jessica Campbell, Angie - Anya Duberley."

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"Another very successful production, from the talented and dedicated, Mayhem Youth Theatre."

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Our House is a musical with music and lyrics by Madness. Premiering at The Cambridge Theatre in 2002, Our House was the winner of the 2003 Olivier award for Best New Musical and has since gone on to tour both nationally and internationally to great acclaim. Through the music of Madness, writer Tim Firth explores the themes of love, family values, growing up, responsibility and dealing with losing the people that shape us. 

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Revolving around the music of British band, Madness, Our House follows the story of London lad Joe Casey. On the night of his sixteenth birthday, an over-excited Joe takes Sarah, the girl of his dreams, out for a romantic evening. On a whim, he breaks into a new building development near his house to show Sarah the view over north London. When the police come, Joe faces a tough decision: to run, or give himself up. It is at this point that the story splits in two as we follow the fortunes, and misfortunes, of Good Joe and Bad Joe. Good Joe stays, hands himself over to the police and faces imprisonment and social embarrassment,. However Bad Joe flees, leaving Sarah alone, and turning his lucky escape into a high-risk future in illegal business. Once released from juvenile detention, Good Joe fights to keep Sarah as she drifts further away from him, caught up in university life. Meanwhile Bad Joe gets in with a criminal crowd and becomes a successful, if dishonest, businessman in property development . He meets Sarah once more and she is bowled over by his new, confident lifestyle. Swept away, Sarah marries Bad Joe in Vegas but soon lives to regret her decision. Meanwhile, Good Joe struggles to earn an honest living and must accept that Sarah has a new life and a new boyfriend. But when his beloved Casey Street is threatened with demolition, he turns to Sarah once more in her new role as a lawyer and the pair rekindle their love.

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The two differing paths of Joe Casey’s future are carefully watched over by Joe’s deceased father, who regrets his own criminal choices that saw him neglect his family. As the parallel worlds of Good and Bad Joe Casey head towards an explosive climax, we find out which decision the 16-year-old Joe made--to turn his back on a life of crime and do the right thing.