The horror genre has had musicals deep within for decades. ‘The Phantom of the Opera’, ‘Sweeney Todd’, ‘Rocky Horror’ and ‘Cannibal! The Musical’ have all graced the horror musical songbook and now Meatloaf returns to his musical roots to lead a group of theatrical students to a production they would die for.

 

After a promising pre credits start, the tone of the film is set as a Dario Argento inspired ‘Phantom of the Opera’ but as soon as the screen cuts to black and a group of kids at band camp pronounce in song that they are “Gay, but not in that way”, the level of expectation drops well below par.

 

With a ‘Power Rangers’ bad guy at the centre of it all, it’s difficult to judge who the audience of ‘Stage Fright’ is. It’s bloody violence comes in the harsh kind, “break a leg” quips the masked killer as he snaps the foot of one of his victims and a finale that sees him shredding a guitar to a song that would song more at home as a deleted scene from the Tenacious D movie. T'there's a mish match in tone that doesn't gel.

 

With the killer guessed within the first ten minutes and a plethora of ‘Glee’ inspired songs that are both forgettable and nauseating, there’s little to keep your eyes, let alone ears stuck to the screen. It’s humourous sections play like a spoof to the musical genre while it’s violence is as brutal as anything pulled by Jason and Michael which for some reason just does not find the right mix. Behind all this is a serial killer plotline that tries to throw a twist at the end, a twist that is neither wanted or unexpected.

 

‘Stage Fright’ won’t be winning any Worst Of… awards thanks to a sterling performance from Allie MacDonald who adds another stepping stone in her journey through the horror genre but unfortunately the show cannot be based on the performance alone and while she may be the soprano here, her support seem to think they are in a pantomime.

 

Laughable, for all the wrong reasons, edge of your seat, for the remote, and a dire performance from nearly all involved is all that remains behind the calling curtain. If Bialystock and Bloom wanted a guaranteed flop, they would have found it here.