one4review | On 04, Sep 2026

Possibly one of the most famous failures in the world, the Gunpowder Plot is one of those historical events never far from the cultural zeitgeist and, therefore, does feel a little overdue a musical adaptation. And Remember, Remember! is exactly that. Not one of those boring accurate historical musicals, though, but a much more fun – and funny – delightfully inaccurate one.

The show opens with narration from the honey-toned Sir Stephen Fry (who, presumably, owed someone in the production a favour) who assures us that everyone in the 1600s was called Stuart, hence why it was known as the Stuart era. And this very much sets the tone for the level of historical realism we can expect from the story. Our protagonist is the actual mastermind behind the treasonous plot, Robert Catesby, who is portrayed as a bumbling underachiever who is quickly overshadowed by the arrival of the much more charismatic (and memorable) Guy Fawkes. As part of the ongoing conspiracy, Robert is sent to spy directly on James I of England (James VI of Scotland) a mission that may lead to some unpredicted emotional complications when he realises that maybe he has more in common with the king than he first thought.

The songs themselves come thick and fast and are surprisingly good – to the degree that I can still hum them several days after seeing the show, something I can’t say for any of the other musicals I’ve seen this year.

The four-strong cast of Kluane Saunders, Ross Tomlinson, Lucy Buncombe and Tom O’Kelly do a great job as the various characters. My favourites were Tomlinson’s camp and unhinged King James and Buncombe’s swaggering Guy Fawkes but everyone is pulling their weight here. The jokes range from the silly to the daft with a slight stop at the truly disgusting with one particular gag about a gout-ridden foot that made me recoil with giggling horror. The show is also overtly camp and queer in a fun panto-esque way.

I will say that the show feels expensive. Not in the props and staging which are all your standard “use your imagination” Fringe fare but something in the quality of the performances on stage and the music production just has that little tinge of real quality. The company feels like a group ready to move from the stage to the screen (or, y’know, the radio) and I wouldn’t be surprised to hear they’ve done just that by this time next year.

Low on explosions, but big on laughs, this is a show sure to make your (bonfire) night.

****1/2
Reviewed by Tom
17.15 to 18.15
Pleasance Queendome
Until 30th August