Book: Kyle Jarrow
Director: Tara Overfield Wilkinson
There’s a lot of moody, dark, topical theatre in the world at the moment. We all sometimes need to look at tragedy onstage to feel separated from the events of real life. Tackling themes like xenophobia, corruption, and corporate greed are not easy tasks. The SpongeBob Musical acts on these themes while also being light-hearted, silly, and ticking all the boxes of a classic musical.
The storyline of this show is more dramatic than SpongeBob fans may be expecting: Bikini Bottom is in danger from a volcanic explosion that will destroy the entire town. SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy band together to save everyone, using one of Sandy’s clever inventions. Unfortunately, Plankton and his computer wife Karen are at work on an evil plan to get all the Bikini Bottom residents to move to a new town – Chumville. It’s a race against time to save Bikini Bottom.
This musical takes all the most loved aspects of the TV show and blends them with catchy songs written by stars (such as David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Panic! At the Disco, and more) to create a splash of a show. The show contains everything an audience could want from a modern musical: adventure, soul-searching, chorus lines, betrayal, and in place of romance, we are treated to the friendship of SpongeBob and Patrick. It even features some fan favourite side characters like Mrs. Puff and Larry the Lobster. Fans of the cartoon series will certainly be satisfied.
This production seems to have been designed with touring in mind, so leaves a little to be wanted when it comes to stage elements. It’s whimsical and recognisable but two-dimensional. There are elements of recycled materials in use on costumes (notably the CDs featured in the headdress of one of the band members), but not so much that it looks like an intentional statement on rubbish in the ocean. There are four screens onstage used to enrich the environment and to feature Richard Arnold as Bikini Bottom’s newscaster, and though the images presented are high quality, they don’t offer many surprises. At a cast of 17 when this reviewer watched, the ensemble must work hard to fill the stage. Sarah Freer as Pearl and Hannah Lowther as Karen both stand out as performers giving energetic and engaging performances both as their named character and in the ensemble. The size of this cast means a difficult sound balance, which shifted throughout the show, at times great and at times unintelligible. Thankfully it’s not necessary to hear every word to know what’s happening.
The show’s big names, Tom Read Wilson and Divina de Campo, are good. Lewis Cornay as SpongeBob is the standout performer, although Irfan Damani’s quietly dumbfounded Patrick steals the show with his fantastic singing voice. The onstage band, doubling as sea rockstars The Electric Skates, are rockstars in their own right, and truly make the show possible. This may not be the most innovative show you’ll see this year, but it is enjoyable and has some outstanding moments. For a family-friendly, nostalgia-flavoured fun night out, The SpongeBob Musical is the way to go.
Runs until: 1 July 2023 and on tour
