Whilst, at times, laugh out loud funny, A Strange Loop is ultimately a tragic look at how one person’s self-impression is their own worst enemy. Usher is conflicted, frustrated, embarrassed by himself and ultimately unhappy in life. His job is boring, but his exit strategy (writing his musical) is making him look deep and hard at himself, and the image he sees is not good.

The cast deliver exceptional performances. Kyle Ramar Freeman, reprising his Broadway role, is mesmerising as Usher and the ensemble, who take on duties as his various thoughts, family members and other characters, all deliver solid and impactful performances. The strong American, and specifically black American, language and accents can take a bit of getting used to, especially in some of the more quick-fire dialogues. And the significant use of Black American and gay culture references may leave some audience members baffled, though not enough to derail you from the overriding narrative.

A Strange Loop garnered a great deal of praise for its Broadway run and came away with a nice collection of prizes to boot, including a couple of Tonys and a Pulitzer. Despite this, and despite a celebrity laden social media campaign to get more people to see it, it didn’t manage to extend its stay beyond its original run. And it’s easy to see why.

The subject matter is rather niche; how many regular theatre goers are going to choose to watch a self-loathing overweight gay black man espouse his insecurities? Then there’s the language. The show is very R-rated; sexual and racial profanities are used with (ahem) gay abandon… and if you find the c-word offensive, be prepared to keep your ears covered for a number of sections. If that’s not enough, the actual music is somewhat lacklustre – you’d be hard pushed to recall a single melody by the time you reach the exit doors.