Beetlejuice

Prince Edward Theatre

DAY-O... oops. Beetlejuice has FINALLY taken over the Prince Edward Theatre, with a dreamy cast. The Neverworld is everything we could've wished for and more! Daylight come, and me do NOT want this show to go home!

Trigger warning: This show is not suited for young children; it covers some difficult subjects such as grief, death, and suicide. It's important to know that if you are unaware of the dark humour to be prepared. It is a comedy, and it's not a heavy show. There are a lot of bright and flashing lights.

This is it, the day I've been waiting for, wishing, hoping, working and praying for. The day the West End has been delaying for years, OOO BEETLEJUICE THE MUSICAL. Yes, theatre lovers and Tim Burton fans, Beetlejuice the musical has landed, and the huge role of the big BJ is played by David Flynn, School of Rock lead. He had some big Alex Brightman shoes to fill, and what a performance he gives the audience. This show is worth the wait and is a beautiful Tim Burton fantasy brought to life for musical lovers. What makes this show so special is the message it holds about death and the importance of talking about grief.

If you haven't seen the 1988 Tim Burton film 'Beetlejuice', well, you may not be able to fully appreciate the beauty of this musical. That doesn't mean you won't have an incredible time; you may just find it a little weird and miss out on the incredible things that have been done to turn this film into a bright and shiny musical. Let's have a quick summary of the story, shall we? For those of you who haven't seen the musical. A couple (the Maitlands) die suddenly, and their spirits are stuck in their house. They watch as a mourning family (the Deetzes) moves into their home, erasing their stamp on the house, and the couple are just getting to grips with what the afterlife is like for the 'recently deceased'. In comes creepy, pervert Beetlejuice, who offers to guide them through this afterlife, and he is a bio-exorcist. Beetlejuice has a motive to cause havoc and break his way into the human world. The living family who have moved in have just lost their wife/mother, and the young daughter, Lydia, is a whimsical character who is struggling with how to live without her mum. She can see the ghosts, and that's where things get weirder and weirder. Then, there's a Sandworm. It's a real Tim Burton-coded story.

I have been waiting 10 years to watch this show! When I discovered the soundtrack on Spotify, my musical theatre island in my mind started to grow (you know, like the islands in the Disney film 'Inside Out'). The music and lyrics by Eddie Perfect are what made me fall in love with musical theatre and long for a career in it. The music is quirky, funny, uplifting, and authentic. When we theatre folk talk about how there are so many films turned into musicals, this doesn't come under that bracket. This musical is a brilliant adaptation. It differs from the film, and what makes it so funny is the fast-paced humour, which has room to be tweaked to suit where/when it's being shown. There are moments added in to reference recent events, celebrities and British humour. There are a few moments when you think, "eek, can you joke about that?" and cringe moments, but in all honesty, Beetlejuice is this unpredictable and unfiltered character; it's not delivered in a way to offend or hurt anyone. It's so perfectly translated from film to musical, giving the characters bigger personalities and making the setting more animated. Yes, they have the Sandworm, and it is big, grand and beautiful!

Every single cast member has moulded into their characters and made them their own so seamlessly. Considering how long theatre lovers have waited for the musical to finally come to the UK, and with high hopes, it was both nerve-racking and exciting to see how David Flynn would mould his role of Beetlejuice. It's a huge role, the energy, the voice and the time on stage. It's safe to say we were in safe hands with David. He's created this utterly hilarious character, he has clearly played around, been comfortable with his cast members and explored what works for him to create the perfect Beetlejuice. His version also has this innocence that makes him lovable. Don't get me wrong, his character is WEIRD, but there's a vulnerable side. Flynn has clearly taken on this side of the character from the script and the lyrics. The energy is exceptional, the voice is perfect, and he's so comfortable/confident in his abilities as an actor that he can react to what is going on around him and maintain this unique voice style whilst moving around CONSTANTLY. There is not one moment that he is not Beetlejuice. It's honestly incredible, and you can't deny that this is some real top-tier HARD WORK. It will be amazing to see how Tom Xander plays the role!

This review could be 20,000 words long, and I want to go into every character, but sadly... Y'ALL WON'T WANNA READ 20,000 WORDS? So, let's talk about Lydia, played by Hannah Nordberg. What a talent, she was born to play Lydia! She has her own riffs within the songs that are unreal. She clearly understands the role of Lydia, and she has a divine connection with the audience. I was SOBBING the first time I saw her performance of 'Home', she presents Lydia's vulnerability, and her struggle with grief and mental health. One thing that is a beautiful choice is the small section of her mum's favourite song playing in the background whenever Lydia gets a chance to talk about her mum. The ensemble is magnificent; they are this immensely talented and energetic bunch of performers who create these animated characters perfectly. The whole cast is just a delight, they really are. Casting was done well by Harry Blumenau CDG CSA. The perfect cast of performers for the first-ever UK Beetlejuice production.

I don't even know where to begin with every single creative team member on this show. Everything was flawless; it is literally a Tim Burton cartoon. I just can't fault it. So let's talk about an area that we don't talk about ENOUGH! Wigs, hair and make-up. It's a vibrant show full of Neverworld characters. Seriously, it's a piece of art, genuinely, they have worked HARD. The wigs are endless and bold, the make-up is colourful and intricate, and the costumes are just 5-star. The quick changes are seamless, each cast member and prop just do not fail and look well put together in each and every second. So much so that there were moments that you didn't even understand how they got there. The stage magic is top tier, honestly, I couldn't tell you how they have created the special effects. Then, there's the sandworm, oh, it's magnificent. Sound, lighting, set, incredible, the staff members who keep the cartoon alive. The Prince Edward theatre staff and everyone involved have worked incredibly hard to make this production exciting, haunting and just perfect.

The experience of this show does not disappoint; so much work has gone into putting the production on, making it realistic and keeping the magic of Beetlejuice alive. If Tim Burton doesn't love it, then I will eat my Sandworm plushie... yes, of course I got one. They even sell jelly sweet sandworms. It couldn't be anymore of a perfect an experience if they tried. Everyone who has had a part in making this production the top-tier level it is has outdone themselves. This show is going to be so well loved, well recieved and people will go numerous times. It's big, it's brilliant, and the experience is worth every penny. I haven't felt excitement like this for a show to begin in years, like the first time I saw Wicked... but the thing is, whilst Wicked is brilliant... I was not as impressed with it as I am with this... oooo bold claim I know. My inner theatre girl was screaming, crying and having the best time. I bought tickets to see it on my birthday in the interval, and I didn't even need to watch the whole show for it to be my favourite musical. If you're dying to see it, get your tickets, because it's scarily perfect. You will be shaken, stirred, and have the time of your life or death. It's the best show Tab In The City has ever seen. Can I give it 6 stars?

Side note: Please, can Beetlejuice officiate my wedding? Is he free in November?