Musical review: Streets the Musical, theSpace at Surgeons Hall (Venue 53), Edinburgh

DEPICTING the suffocating world of gang crime, Streets the Musical ambitiously tackles drugs and violence, but creates little impact in its mannered approach.

By HANNAH CLARK

Published 6th Aug 2012, 17:27 BST

Streets the Musical

theSpace @ Surgeons Hall (Venue 53)

Rating: *

The production lacks any raw energy or passion and, unfortunately, such a misjudged tone leaves this musical in a state of desperate chaos.

Trying too hard to depict a gritty life leaves the melodramatic score vulnerable, and such an incongruous gap, when balanced with a competent yet stilted delivery, reveals that the musical has nothing intelligent to say about the state of our society. This disappointingly generic production treads no new ground and suffers as a result.

• Until 11 August.

Edinburgh