Be More Chill - Old Joint Stock - Review

★★★★★

Birmingham’s Old Joint Stock Theatre felt electric with its latest production, Be More Chill. The intimate stage was full of the swagger, wit, and vocal firepower you’d expect from a full-scale run, not a fringe-style venue. From the first synth beat to the final bow, this production crackles with energy, daring you not to grin like an idiot. But, how did a tiny theatre pull off something this big, bold, and brilliantly bonkers?

Jack Carr (as Michael), Steven Rostance (as Store Attendant), and Tom Dickerson (as Jeremy).

Based on Ned Vizzini’s novel, Be More Chill tells the story of Jeremy Heere, an awkward high school nobody who stumbles upon the ultimate social upgrade: a SQUIP — a supercomputer in pill form that implants itself in his brain and offers instant advice on how to be cool. With his newfound confidence, Jeremy rockets up the social ladder, but the SQUIP’s guidance comes at a price, pushing him into a whirlwind of peer pressure, questionable choices, and unexpected consequences. Until finally this upgrade becomes more like a virus that has to be exorcised, by any means necessary! The show explores what it really means to fit in, and whether being “cool” is worth losing yourself for.

Director James Edge and Associate Director Liam Alexandru have thrown caution to the wind in this production of Be More Chill, delivering a show bursting with creativity, energy, and heart. Their fearless vision, brought to life by a top-tier cast and brilliant creative decisions, resulted in a performance so infectiously fun that the sold-out audience had no choice but to leap to their feet for a standing ovation. This is fringe theatre firing on all cylinders.

Leading the charge is Tom Dickerson as Jeremy Heere, fresh from a break in the Dear Evan Hansen tour, where he wowed audiences as Jared. Here, he continues to cement himself as one of musical theatre’s rising stars. Dickerson’s Jeremy is awkward, hilarious, and heartbreakingly real, navigating a rollercoaster of teenage angst, comedic chaos, and emotional vulnerability. His performance doesn’t just hit the mark; it leaves its stamp on the role.

Jack Carr as Michael Mell

Yet, it’s Jack Carr as Michael Mell who delivers the night’s knockout blow. The now-iconic ballad Michael in the Bathroom is a modern musical theatre favourite, immortalised by George Salazar’s recording — but Carr’s rendition? A revelation. By the final note, I had goosebumps from head to toe. Forget the original: this was pure theatrical magic and, without a doubt, my theatre moment of the year so far.

Shannon Bourne shines as Christine Canigula, the lovable, scatterbrained drama nerd who captures Jeremy’s heart. Bourne’s crystalline vocals and magnetic stage presence make Christine impossible not to adore. Every smile she flashed seemed to ripple through the audience, drawing them deeper into her quirky, irresistible charm. If joy could be bottled, it would sound and look a lot like Shannon Bourne’s performance. Utterly infectious! 

The set design is deceptively simple yet brilliantly effective. With just two office chairs, a bathtub, and a pair of movable blocks, the cast seamlessly transported us from living rooms to classrooms, bedrooms to bathrooms, all without missing a beat. The standout feature? Twelve wall-mounted televisions. Admittedly, the opening Star Wars-style parody made me brace for a gimmick I’d seen one too many times, but after cringing past that, Liam Alexandru’s video design hit exactly the right notes. A few sequences ran slightly long, but with the clever purpose of covering costume and set changes, they mercifully eliminated those dreaded blackout pauses. For that alone, I’m eternally grateful.

Tommy Fouweather as The SQUIP

Of course, the production wasn’t flawless. A blown fuse during the interval caused a delayed start to Act Two, the opening number of the second half stumbled out of the gate feeling messy, and there were occasional sound problems, from microphone blips to overly high volume levels. Yet here’s the telling point: even with those rough edges, I still believe this is a 5-star show. The sheer joy and energy radiating from the stage more than outweighed the polish it lacked, leaving the audience buzzing long after the curtain call.

Performance-wise, there wasn’t a weak link in sight. Every single cast member claimed their moment in the spotlight with total commitment, but a few stood out for all the right reasons. Tommy Fouweather embodied the SQUIP, delivering with such precision and clarity that I genuinely thought his voice was pre-recorded. It had the cool, clinical edge of an AI program brought to life. Meanwhile, Steven Rostance proved himself a master of versatility, switching from Jeremy’s hapless, trouserless dad to a scene-stealing drama teacher with effortless comic flair.

The ensemble was equally strong. Jessica Lim’s Jenna Rolan, the school’s gossip queen, floored the audience with her unexpected operatic belt. John Óg delivered one of the funniest beats of the night as Rich, bringing the house down with his perfectly timed, deadpan proclamation: “I’m Bi.” Brooke Lohst and Maya Jade Frank brought razor-sharp sorority-girl sass as Ailsa and Chloe, claws firmly out, while Harry Chamberlain’s turn as Jake was a delightfully nuanced performance that made it hard to believe this was his professional debut.

Tom Dickerson as Jeremy Heere.

One of the refreshing joys of Be More Chill is that there are no true villains — not really. Yes, the SQUIP is the antagonist, but it’s a piece of tech, not a moustache-twirling baddie. Even characters like Jake, the jock on the rebound, or Ailsa, the sharp-tongued popular girl who secretly feels like “Player 2,” are fully fleshed out with human flaws and hidden vulnerabilities. This depth makes it easy for the audience to root for everyone, especially when each performer brings them to life with such vivid colour.

It’s no small feat to stage a production of this scale in a 100-seat fringe venue, but The Old Joint Stock team have done it with style, ambition, and flair. Directors James Edge and Liam Alexandru clearly set the bar sky-high, and their cast and crew soared to meet it. Musical Director Callum Thompson kept the score sharp, energetic, and vocally tight, while Choreographer William Spencer crafted movement that was perfectly pitched for the space — though at times it felt like the floor might just give way under the sheer enthusiasm of the jumps!

So, how does a small theatre deliver a high-octane musical with this much punch? By going all in. From start to finish, the cast radiated the joy of live performance, and the audience fed off that energy in kind. Be More Chill is pure theatrical fun. A clever, colourful, and irresistibly engaging show that knows how to entertain without taking itself too seriously. When told by a company that understands theatre and loves every second of it, the result is electric. A must-see.

P.s. It’s very rare that a theatre show will have a Marvel Post-Credit scene. But this is definitely something worth sticking around to see… The SQUIP has one last secret to share.