Review of DUNE! The Musical [Cymera Festival]

Birdy (and Girdy!) went along to the critically acclaimed DUNE! The Musical at the Cymera Festival, and were treated to a musical delight from Dan Collins.

When I first read that DUNE! The Musical was going to be at Cymera Festival, it went straight to the top of my list. Girdy was also into it, so he came along for the funsies.

I’ve got to confess, however, that I hadn’t read anything further than the title, so when I got there I had no idea what to expect; would it be a fancy stage show with a large cast and all the trimmings? Maybe something coming onto the stage in a giant worm costume at some point? No. None of these things happened as it was a one-man show – but that’s okay, because what we did see was bloody brilliant.

Before I go any further, here’s the official description:

Critically acclaimed, Hugo Award nominated and back in Edinburgh for its third Fringe… A memoir in song by the Earl of Caladan, trusted adviser to the Padisha Emperor and beloved troubadour-warrior, the bard, Gurney Halleck. Following the success of his work on A Child’s History of Muad’Dib, Gurney performs hits from his back catalogue and introduces never-before-heard songs from his time among the Fremen. Sing along with little Paul Atreides on his journey to Sietch Tabr: can he tame the worm, save the world and get the girl? Forget everything you know about Arrakis and get ready.

Vibe

When we first arrived to our seats, Dan Collins was sitting on a wooden chair, just strumming away and setting some lovely ambient vibes as everyone made their way in and got comfortable.

Dan himself is a master storyteller and performer, and the Dune vibes for me were instantly there. As soon as he started playing, and telling the tale, I was onboard for a wild ride.

And, a wild ride we got indeed. Have you heard the one about the worm?

The show itself

Okay, so how does one man combine Frank Herbert‘s epic sci-fi novel Dune into 60 minutes? Apparently effortlessly so, due to the sleek medium of music allowing you to cover a lot of ground fairly quickly.

Through 15 fantastic songs, Dune! The Musical has references to both David Lynch and Denis Villeneuve’s movies thrown in, which I appreciated.

A skilled storyteller, Collins has a way of getting the characters across on stage, from Gurney Halleck to Baron Harkonnen and Paul Atreides.

He also puts so much into each and every song that you’re just captivated by his performance throughout.

The humour was there, but not in a way it became strictly a comedy performance. There was enough comic relief and enough other elements that the audience were drawn in and fully engaged with the story.

Most of the time, Dan is Dan, with a modest shirt and trousers combo as he skilfully plays his guitar, but at one point the shirt comes off and we’re treated to body art and a sort of demonic mask, with heavy rock music.

I loved the music so much that I had no choice but to buy myself a copy of the CD. And, of course, I picked up a badge, too – which I’ll wear with pride!

Overall

I really, truly enjoyed DUNE! The Musical, and it was truly a delight to witness. In fact, I think I’ll probably see it again!

Apparently Dan got the idea to make Dune into a musical, and thought: “Is there anything more Dune than taking on an impossible task?”

The ending was a great payoff, but you’ll have to see the show to know how it finished!

AND if you want to see DUNE! The Musical, you’ll be able to watch it at PBH’s Free Fringe this August! You can also check out the official Bandcamp page here.