REVIEW: FLOP! @ PHOENIX ARTS CLUB

🎭 Flop!

📍 Phoenix Arts Club, 1 Phoenix Street, London, WC2H 8BU

🗓 Tuesday 21st July 2026

⭐️ 5 Stars

FAILURE HAS NEVER SOUNDED SO SUBLIME!

As I headed eagerly down the stairs and into the Phoenix Arts Club - nestled below the Phoenix Theatre in London's West End - last night, the atmosphere was buzzing with anticipation for this special industry presentation of FLOP! Something told me that I was going to enjoy this, and I keenly opted to sit right at the front.

This award-winning, one-man musical cabaret masterclass is written and performed by the spectacularly talented Australian performer, musician, and circus graduate Arthur Hull. It is a fast-paced, riotously funny, and deeply affectionate tribute to the stage's greatest financial and critical disasters. Hull takes the audience on a journey through the dark underbelly of theatrical history, serving up the glorious melodies that managed to survive some of the most catastrophic productions to ever grace the stage. What an absolute honour it was to witness this immense talent up close and personal in such an intimate setting.

This is not a mockery of musical theatre flops, but rather a celebration of them. Hull has a great respect for the creatives behind these shows and has curated an evening that showcases the very best songs from some truly terrible musicals. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of what makes a musical theatre flop, and delivers his thoughts with great humour. On a personal level, I absolutely loved his mention of The Fields of Ambrosia. That notorious 1996 West End transfer - set in a 1918 Louisiana penitentiary and centered around an executioner falling for a death row inmate - is the absolute first show that comes to mind for me whenever anyone mentions the word "flop". A very good friend of mine was actually in that original London cast, so hearing it get its moment in the spotlight was a deeply nostalgic joy.

The show is a relentless, high-octane ride through Broadway and West End misfires, kicking off with a brilliant, pitch-perfect recreation of the camp opening choreography from the infamous 1988 production of Carrie. From there, Hull dives headfirst into a treasury of theatrical mishaps, delivering sublime, belt-out renditions of tracks from Grease 2, Bono and The Edge’s ill-fated Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, and Andrew Lloyd Webber's heavily maligned Love Never Dies. A particular comedic highlight is his deep dive into Tom Hooper’s disastrous 2019 Cats movie adaptation, where Hull roasts the CGI nightmare before executing a raspy, show-stopping rendition of "Macavity" that had the entire room in awe of his brilliance.

My absolute favourite moments of the night came with his look at King Kong and a medley from Diana: The Musical. The King Kong sequence is pure comic genius, perfectly skewering the sheer absurdity of trying to adapt the giant ape for the stage. Meanwhile, the Diana medley is an absolute tour de force of musical satire - fast, witty, and razor-sharp, expertly capturing the bizarre lyrical choices of the short-lived show while keeping the audience laughing uproariously.

This is a joyous and high-energy show; Hull's vocals were absolutely insane. He came out with power and energy, and I worried that he would not be able to sustain this vocal performance throughout the runtime, but I need not have worried. When he sang "My Funny Valentine" (a successful song from Rodgers and Hart's otherwise troubled 1937 musical Babes in Arms), he had a gorgeous crooner quality that made me completely fall in love with him and consider divorce proceedings!

The range and versatility of his voice deserves to have pride of place on a West End stage. I could honestly listen to him singing all night long. The tone, power, and control he possesses is world-class. He is something of a vocal chameleon, adapting his style with apparent ease.

Beyond the vocals, Hull boasts a magnetic stage presence that commands the room effortlessly. He seamlessly weaves lighthearted, playful audience participation throughout the set, treating theatregoers with the perfect blend of cheeky charm and theatrical wit. His background as a circus artist shines through in his physical commitment, and his natural charisma ensures the energy never dips for a single second.

What makes this tour de force even more jaw-dropping is that Hull isn’t just singing his heart out; he is delivering the majority of the musical landscape completely live from behind the piano. Watching him command the keys with such effortless virtuosity while simultaneously belting out these demanding scores adds a thrilling layer of raw musicality to the night. He occasionally uses pre-recorded backing tracks, but often he constructs the arrangements right in front of us, weaving together the live instrumentation and his vocals to create a massive, rich sound that fills the entire room. It is a masterclass in multitasking that proves he is just as much a brilliant musician as he is a powerhouse vocalist.

I had a huge smile on my face from start to finish. FLOP! is a total triumph, a love letter to the theatre, and an absolute must-watch for anyone who loves the stage.

If you're heading to the Edinburgh Fringe this summer, you can catch FLOP! at the Gilded Balloon, Teviot from Thursday 6th - Sunday 30th August. Hull then plays a limited London run at Wilton's Music Hall from Thursday 24th - Saturday 26th September. CLICK HERE to head to the show's website where you can find full tour dates and book tickets.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one reviewer.  

My ticket for this performance of Flop! was gifted by KWPR who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given. 

WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY:

Arthur Hull

RUNNING TIME (approx):

1 hour, with no interval

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Mild adult themes; Audience participation

AGE RECOMMENDATION:

12+

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