WISH-LIST WEDNESDAY: Octet

PREMIERED: 2019 (Signature Theatre Company, NYC)

BOOK/MUSIC/LYRICS: Dave Malloy

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Official artwork for "Octet" off-broadway

On the tail of the announcement that it is to be made into a movie musical, I thought there no better time to feature this latest musical success by Dave Malloy. Classed as a chamber choir musical, "Octet" follows a group of eight attendees of a support group, entitled "Friends of Saul", who are all battling with internet addiction, and gather in a church basement to share stories about their various trials and tribulations. From gaming addiction, conspiracy theories and pornography, this show explores every inch of the good, bad and ugly of excessive internet usage.

Though the score contains electronic elements, as has become a trademark of Malloy's style of writing, much of the musical is performed a Capella, which perfectly encapsulates the intimate, intense nature of the story, as well as the sense of community that is built. It first premiered at the off-broadway venue Signature Theatre Company in 2019, with subsequent regional premieres in California and Washington D.C. in the years that followed, the latter having been staged in the early part of this year. Additionally, a midwest regional premiere is planned to open this month, at the Raven Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.

The off-broadway cast of "Octet"

As of yet there has been no talk of a UK or even a European premiere for the show, however the announcement that Lin-Manuel Miranda is set to direct a movie adaptation, it is highly likely that this will generate plenty of additional attention and hype for the show. With the show's writer having experienced a major first London success in 2024 with "Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812", it is clear that Malloy's work has struck a chord with British audiences, so there's no reason why it couldn't be a success on this side of the Atlantic...