Book: Kyle Jarrow
Director: Tara Overfield Wilkinson
Who knew what to expect from The SpongeBob Musical? It arrived in Bradford tonight to the delight of fans young and old, and those just interested to find out what it’s all about.
Based on the series SpongeBob SquarePants by Stephen Hillenburg, with a book by Kyle Jarrow, SpongeBob the Musical follows SpongeBob and his friends as they save Bikini Bottom from a volcanic eruption that threatens to take down their town and end the world. There is much fun for all the family interspersed throughout the show, it’s silly and innocent enough to make the youngest members giggle and has some nice, relevant themes to amuse the grown-ups like hoarding toilet roll in readiness for the end of the world.
The music is definitely the star attraction of this show. It’s made up of mainly original songs by some of the World’s most iconic rock and pop artists including Yolanda Adams, The Flaming Lips, Cyndi Lauper and John Legend. The band, led by Marcus Carter-Adams, are on stage throughout and often incorporated into the scenes – this is wonderful to see, especially in a family show to inspire the children and introduce them to elements often left unseen in musical theatre. The vocal strength of the cast is truly magnificent to hear through the beautiful and strong vocal harmonies and both the powerful and sensitive soloists. Each song is finely crafted, at least half of the songs have the qualities of a big show finale piece – the audience is truly spoilt.
Pleasingly, it’s as visually spectacular as it sounds. Steve Howell’s set is bright and bubbly with great use of screens and projection. The use of neon through the set and costumes designed by Sarah Mercade, along with UV lighting, works well to create some wonderful underwater scenes. A particular favourite being a scene where sponges are used to create shapes, numbers and characters during the song A Simple Sponge.
The chemistry between SpongeBob SquarePants, Lewis Cornay, and Patrick Star, Irfan Damani, is wonderful. They sing beautifully and sensitively together – highlights are the songs BFF and I Guess I Miss You.
It’s difficult to know how to sum up this show, it’s truly unique. It has many elements of a traditional British pantomime, paired with musical numbers with the show stopping qualities of a West End blockbuster. From the moment the show begins it’s impossible to remove the smile from your face, it’s just pure joy, high energy and a sensory feast for all the family. Highly recommended for anyone, regardless of whether you’ve ever seen SpongeBob or not.
Runs until 22nd April 2023, before continuing on tour.
The Reviews Hub Score
Fun galore
