31 October – 4 November
Rather than wait nervously at home for the inevitable trick-or-treaters on Halloween, I headed to the Everyman instead for a different kind of entertainment and discovered the most pleasant and unexpected of surprises: “Madagascar: The Musical”.
The 2005 film on which this musical is based is one of the Dreamworks studio’s enduring successes, grossing nearly £500 million worldwide and spawning a couple of enjoyable sequels. The story is familiar to many: four captive animals break free from a New York zoo in search of a new life in the wild, and end up on the titular island, helping to defend a tribe of loveable lemurs from their pesky predators. So it is perhaps no surprise, given the success and enduring appeal of the franchise, that the story has transitioned from screen to stage, debuting back in 2018 with director Kirk Jameson at the helm. The show has since enjoyed huge success around the world, and you can instantly see why.
Arguably, the challenge of reimagining an animated film where anything is possible both creatively and artistically when compared to live action movies, is a difficult one, but “Madagascar”, inspired no doubt by the resounding success of “The Lion King”, succeeds too in serving up a hugely enjoyable and engaging treat for all the family. A simple plot allows the audience to focus on the show’s enormous sense of fun and energy, which emanates from all of the lead characters – Marty the wantaway zebra, Alex the lion, Gloria the hippo and Melman the hypochondriac giraffe. Their clever costuming, courtesy of Tom Rogers, is genuinely impressive, conveying the characteristics of each creature without compromising their ability to dance and move freely around the stage, which they do to great effect through some impressive choreography. But there is also some effective and highly creative puppetry on show – including Kowalski’s memorable band of fugitive penguins – with the measure of its success being that after a while, you are no longer conscious of the puppeteers on the stage, only their puppets. The recent theatrical trend for versatile, portable staging, often operated by the actors themselves, is much in evidence in the first act, being imaginatively reconfigured to suggest different locations. The ship’s animal containers are highly effective too, whereas the Madagascan setting in the second half is as vibrant and colourful as the actors themselves. And whilst most of the musical numbers may not be instantly familiar, especially in the first half, they are certainly enjoyable enough as this talented ensemble cast show off their versatility.
Karim Zeroual very nearly steals the entire show in the second half as a hilarious King Julien, both through his clever use of physical theatricality, but also in getting the audience dancing in their chairs, then later on their feet, with two renditions of the movie’s signature tune, “I Like to Move It Move It” which I guarantee you will enjoy. Children and adults alike will not fail to be delighted and amused in equal measure by the innocent exuberance of this wonderful story of friendship. The experience feels very much like being drawn into a cartoon, which is exactly what the show intends. Much like the film, the show disregards any moralising or weighty themes and unashamedly sets out to have as much fun as possible, and invites the audience to do the same. It works, too.
★★★★☆ Tony Clarke 1st November 2023
Photography credit: Mark Dawson Photography
