Madagascar the Musical – Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield

Book: Kevin Del Aguila

Music and Lyrics: George Noriega and Joel Someillan

Director: Kirk Jameson

After the success ofShrek the Musical, it’s unsurprising that another Dreamworks title has been adapted for the stage – this time,Madagascarhas been turned into a stage musical. However, whereShrekappeals to both young audiences and those who grew up with the film,Madagascar the Musical is very much aimed at the young audiences. Whilst the show is colourful, energetic and fun, this show doesn’t particularly pack much of an emotional punch.

Madagascar the Musicalfollows Marty the Zebra as he dreams of going back to the wild and finding the place where he belongs. Eventually, after breaking free from Central Park Zoo before being recaptured, Marty and his animal friends find themselves on the island of Madagascar, back in the wild. The second act then follows Alex the Lion as he adapts to living a life without the structure of human intervention and support.

The show has some catchy songs written by George Noriega and Joel Someillan but for the most part, the music feels like it’s been written for young performers in schools to perform rather than for a major UK tour. Kevin Del Aguila’s book is well written for a young audience, keeping the story moving at a pace – the show is a little under 2 hours long including interval, meaning the kids don’t get restless but there’s not a huge amount of depth to the characters.

Tom Rogers’ set design is quite simple and small but on the whole works well in depicting the different settings. His costumes, on the other hand, are wonderful – colourful and they feel as though they’ve come straight out of the film. Max Humphries’ puppet design is an outstanding element of this show, replicating the beloved characters from the film perfectly. Fabian Aloise’s choreography is another outstanding element of this show. His choreography is energetic and lively, with I Like To Move It (yes, it is included in the stage show) being a highlight of the production.

Headlining the show in the role of King Julien for this tour is CBBC presenter andStrictly Come Dancingstar Karim Zeroual. Zeroual does a great job – he is funny and charismatic, builds a strong rapport with the audience and delivers a perfect vocal performance on the iconic I Like To Move It – you could easily think he was the original vocalist of the song in the film.

Francisco Gomes does a good job as Marty, with some nice vocal moments. He humanises the character well, making the audience root for him and his dreams to return to the wild. Joseph Hewlett brings Alex the Lion to life very well. Early on in the show, he is quite cartoonish but in the second act he shines as we see Alex’s struggle to work out who he is and where he belongs. His gives some great pop vocals, but at times it feels as though we lose diction in favour of style, meaning it’s difficult to hear the words sometimes. Joshua Oakes-Rogers gives a fun performance as Melman whilst Jarnéia Richard-Noel gives a stand out performance as Gloria. Her vocals are (unsurprisingly as a member of the originalSixcast) powerful, and it is a shame she doesn’t get a solo number in the show.

The multi-rolling ensemble of Laura Marie Benson, Brogan McFarlane, Connor Keetley, James Hilton-Foster and, at this performance, swing Aidan Harkins are terrific. They bring to life King Julien’s entourage as well as the infamous crew of penguins. Keetley is a particular highlight as Skipper and Hilton-Foster is perfectly camp bringing to life Mason the Monkey. McFarlane is also delightful bringing to life the smallest and youngest animals in the show, making them adorable with her puppeteering and voice acting skills.

Madagascar the Musicalis a fun evening out, perfect younger audiences and their parents. It looks fabulous with some talented performers bringing to life a bunch of iconic characters.

Runs until 25th May 2024, before continuing on tour.