A review of Police Cops: The Musical, Fringe 2023

Police Cops: The Musical might be my “Lived Up to Hype” hit of Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2023.

I had been told that Police Cops: The Musical was good, and that was all the research I did before dragging Birdy along. This is the same Birdy who’d picked absolutely zero musical comedies for her to-review Fringe schedule.

I made two errors. Firstly, I sat through a good chunk of the show, thinking how good the young Americans, like these performers, are – and secondly, that the singers had pretty good comedy skills. In truth, this Police Cops troupe are London-based comedians.

Police Cops: The Musical is energetic, satirical, cutting, well-sung and extremely fun.

What to expect

A young man becomes a Police Cop after the predictable family tragedy, losing track of his high school crush to do so.

At this early point, the Police Cops of AmeriCA have shot several people.

Our Police Cop is told he’s the next up-and-coming hero cop; the local captain takes him under his wing with advice not to trust Mexicans and the suggestion to partner up with a renegade ex-hero cop who’s off sulking in some shady bar.

The buddy movie of the two tracking down the drug smuggling ganglord kicks off as we parody ’80s action movies with loads of contemporary jokes and needful commentary on racism, sexism, celebrity culture and friendship.

Five young actors show incredible stamina as they dance for 90 minutes sold while singing well, clearly and loudly. These five play all the roles, fast costume changing (including muppets and baby dolls on strings) into all the required characters – and, best of all – have fun on stage. I swear they’re having dance-offs as they go, just for the joy of it.

Expect jokes, one dose of audience participation (one lucky person only) and given the frantic nature of the impressive performance, a thing or two will likely go ‘differently right’ than planned. Still, these unscripted bits are delicious and delightful.

You should expect a busy Studio One from the Assembly in George Square. Police Cops: The Musical keeps selling out, and I think it’ll do that through the entire festival.

Performance and Vibe

I was thrilled with the performance. It’s impressive that a comedy troupe can do a musical so well, even if bolstered by professional singers and dancers.

Even when I’m enjoying a comedy, I can be one of those audience members that comedians hate – because I smile and grin long before I make a sound. Police Cops had me laughing out loud.

The dance routines are impressive! They’re physical, tight, controlled and practised. I mean, I’m an amateur; I don’t even watch Strictly, and I can’t tell you what technical level of excellence the Police Cops reached. I can tell you what I liked, what moved me, and I can therefore tell you that some of the flips and rolls, the hoists and lifts, the twirls and tumbles, are impressive!

The singing too! Gosh! The songs are great. Before Police Cops, I didn’t have a favourite song about a Henry Hoover, but now I do. I have to remember not to sing it.

The icing on the cake is that Police Cops: The Musical is hilarious! It would work as a musical, but as a successful musical comedy, Police Cops is delicious. It’s appropriately political, wisely insightful and one of those stories that make its points head-on through the stealth technology of being funny and charismatic.

Overall

Bloomin’ well get tickets if you can! If the tickets to Police Cops are sold out, adopt an AmeriCAN attitude and get them anyway! Grab some good seats and settle back for 90 minutes of dancing, singing and excellent comedy.

Police Cops is silly, becoming surreal towards the end, and excellent fun.