‘What makes a man try to fly in a lawn chair?” sing the ensemble of Jack Godfrey’s new musical. Why would someone attach 42 (or maybe 43) helium-filled weather balloons to a chair and float high above Los Angeles? And why would anyone want to write a musical about it?
42 Balloons, directed by Ellie Coote, offers a convincing answer to that last question. Larry Walters, or Lawnchair Larry as he became known after taking flight in 1982, is an odd true-life subject. But Godfrey approaches this quirky story with empathy, wit and self-awareness, telling a charming tale of implausible dreams – and what happens when you finally achieve them.
As played by Charlie McCullagh, Larry is a lovable dork, all awkward dance moves and oddball ambitions. After years of dreaming, he is reluctantly helped in his quest by long-term girlfriend Carol (a sweet yet tough Evelyn Hoskins), who is the real heart of the show. The couple’s efforts are playfully narrated by an ensemble who whirl around Milla Clarke’s flexible set, with its smooth grey curves like one of Larry’s balloons.
Godfrey’s songs smartly cite the synths and big guitar sounds of the era. It was the decade of power ballads, anthemic choruses and the rise of the music video, all of which influence the show’s sound and aesthetic. There are multiple earworms, including Do You Wanna Know and Something As Crazy As This.
It gets most interesting after Larry has made his strange ascent. He becomes a modern-day Icarus – “a man who flew a little too high”, as Carol sings in Helium. Instead of filling the gap he felt in his life, Larry’s feat turns him into a figure of fun. This is the bit of a story we don’t often see: the aftermath of a dream come true, when there is nothing left to strive for.
So, what made him do it? In the end, it almost doesn’t matter. This is a show about the unlikely dreams of ordinary people, and how they keep us going in a world of disappointments.
At the Lowry, Salford, until 19 May
