Boy bands. Love them or hate them, there’s no doubt of their influence on fans – and bank accounts – across the world.

Back in my ‘tweens’ I fell victim to the so-called ‘curse’ of the boyband albeit it was McFly and not the all-singing-all-dancing style. But in the very same principle there was lots of screaming, crying, camping for tickets, signings and shows. So, within the opening phase of this musical I’d ticked all the ‘fangirl’ boxes.

‘Man!Fest’ presented the ultimate exploration of manufactured boyband phenomenon, telling its tale through the eyes of their devoted fangirls (the festies), their money-hungry record label who begin to panic as the fans begin to age and the stars of the show, the boyband themselves.

With a show that will have you laughing from start to finish, Man!Fest somehow manages to make something so silly feel incredibly real. Much of that comes down to the clever use of staging and physicality, as the four-strong female cast seamlessly switch between boyband members, fangirls and their label with impressive ease and minimal props.

With plenty of dance routines, catchy songs and more, the show mocks boyband culture without ever feeling over gimmicky. I’m still laughing out loud remembering the ‘Amelia’ skit and even that single could easily be in the charts. While the show may be all singalong tunes, much like the moment of ‘Amelia’, it delves into subjects including sexuality, drugs, teen suicide, eating disorders and toxic masculinity, tackling them with just enough depth without ever becoming too heavy for this show style.

A perfect blend of comedy and music, the cast do an incredible job immersing you into the story. As the story unfolds, audible gasps of “aww” and “ohh” rippled through the audience with another testament to the magic of theatre, and one that never gets old.

This could well be one of the festival’s hidden gems. Man!Fest encapsulates the Fringe at its very best: quirky, hilarious and unapologetically silly, yet with an underlying meaning that gives the show real heart.

Even as I’m writing this review and thinking back to the show, I already want to go back and experience it all over again. Maybe I’m a ‘festie’ after all…

★★★★★