Newcastle Theatre Royal – until Saturday 9 September
5*****
The SpongeBob Musical is a bonkers, colourful mass of madness. A bit like a fever dream or (I’m told) a bad trip or acid high!!! Sat in a theatre, predominantly filled with students, young adults and children this is a show filled with light, colour, bubbles and joy.
Lewis Cornay stars as the eternally optimistic SpongeBob. Who lives his best life everyday along with best friend Patrick (Irfan Damani) and Sandy (Eloise Davies on press night). When certain doom hits Bikini Bottom and Mount Humongous, the underwater volcano, threatens to blow, SpongeBob aims to be the hero to save them all. Then he can show Mr Krabs (Richard J Hunt), his employer, that he is manager material and not destined to be a fry cook at the Krabbie Pattie all his life. Evil Plankton (scene stealing Divina de Campo) and his computer wife Karen (Hannah Lowther) hatch a plan to save everyone in an escape pod. Whilst all the townspeople are in the pod he planned to use mass hypnosis to make them all love chum and buy all their food from his Chum Bucket diner. In order to pay for the escape pod, the Mayor (Siobhan Diffin) plans to hold a concert to raise funds, starring the Electric Skates. Squidward (Gareth Gates) is tasked with organising the concert. Pearl Krabs (Sarah Freer) sneaks into the sound check for the Electric Skates and, after impressing with her singing voice, gets a job as backing singer with the band. Pearl just wants someone to look at her the same way her dad, Mr Krabs, looks at money. And all of this within 48 hours before the volcano explodes.
Tara Overfield Wilkinsons direction and Fabian Aloises choreography are excellent. WIth a full tap routine provided by Gates in his Squid outfit, he impresses tap dancing with 4 legs, supported by full chorus of sea anemones. Sarah Mercades costumes are outstanding, utilising gloves, cds, cups and straws. De Campo as Plankton, a character that maybe an inch high, towered above the rest with huge heeled boots and long antenna, making him at least 10 feet high! Steve Howells set is in-your-face bright and colourful and mount humungous is a masterpiece of recycling.
The music is provided by big names; Yolanda Adams, Seve Tyler, Joe Perry, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alex Ebert, The Flaming Lips, Lady A, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Panic at the Disco, Plain White T’s. They Might be Giants and TI. All played excellently by the on stage band (Sam Beveridge, Jeremiah Olaleye, Eleanor Turiansky, Matt Billups and musical director Marcus Carter-Adams)
The SpongeBob Musical is a must see show and not just for kids. This is a show for everyone. Full of optimism, the triumph of good over evil and a sea of colour, love, hope and bubbles and a tap dancing squid – what’s not to love!