The musical adaption of The Spongebob Musical launched in 2016, and now embarks on its premiere UK tour, stopping at The Curve, Leicester until 15th July. The 1999 TV show has proven so immensely popular, that despite never seeing an episode the characters are familiar and storyline easy to follow.
Written by Kyle Jarrow, the story utilises the beloved Nickelodeon characters to save Bikini Bottom from being destroyed by an underwater volcano eruption. With the town majority hoping for an escape pod – driven by the nefarious plans of Drag Race UK star Divina De Campo as Sheldon Plankton and sidekick Computer Karen (Hannah Lowther) – Spongebob and his buddies are left to save the day and their home. Lewis Cornay has Spongebob nasally voice down pat (a feature I would have described as the most annoying part, but my accompanying eight-year-old declared this her favourite part, so do with that what you will.) His every movement embodies the cartoon and remains obstinately perky even in the face of defeat. Speaking of perky, Irfan Damani is lovable as SpongeBob’s dim-witted best friend Patrick Star. Chrissie Ghima is fab as headstrong and smart Sandy Cheeks, the trio coming together brilliantly to have the whole crowd rooting for their mission. Their cheerful optimism contrasts with Plankton’s camp poise and Karen’s eagerness to please stealing the limelight. Tom Read Wilson is perfect as grumpy Squidward, causing giggles with every squeaky movement from his four legs and starring in his big Broadway-esque number “I’m not a loser”. Steve Howell’s very 2D set is fun and appropriate for the cartoon setting it originated from, and incorporates some clever props including the “trash mountain” style volcano. The recycling theme is consistent between the elements, with costumes using commonly discarded items including a hat out of red plastic cups. Sarah Mercade’s costumes are also pretty low-key for the most part; avoiding overly cheesy literal interpretations of the cartoon animals. Patrick’s pink top and beanie looking like they could have been scrounged out of any wardrobe while Spongebob fortunately avoids the fate of wearing a neon sponge with his iconic shirt and shorts keeping him recognisable. WIth such an eclectic mix of songwriters – Sara Bareilles, Panic at the Disco, and David Bowie among them – it’s no surprise that the musical genre is tricky to pin down with their individual musical styles seeping through but musical supervisor Mark Crossland ties it all together and keeps it constantly catchy, with a few moments for the cast to showcase their vocal prowess; especially Sarah Freer as aspiring rockstar Pearl the whale. Directed by Tara Overfielf Wilkinson, it’s a slick, high-energy production, with so many sidesteps, squats, and starjumps I would not be surprised to see Fabian Aloise’s choreography in an intense workout class. The entire cast does a fabulous job of keeping it lively for the entire show. Some of the choreo is lovely, luminescent sponges creating images in the air to make Spongebob’s solo number ‘A Simple Sponge’ genuinely moving. Judging by the fidgety bums the whole production could have done with being shorter, and the first interval much sooner, so the self-awareness of this musical is particularly appreciated towards the end when the final countdown begins. It’s all riotous fun and hopefully the kids take in the not-so-subtle subliminal messaging about environmentalism, racism, and questioning authority too. All in all, a pleasant surprise for someone who is not the target audience, and a firm 10/10 from the aforementioned eight-year-old .
https://www.curveonline.co.uk/whats-on/shows/the-spongebob-musical/
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Katie Reviews 