Touring – reviewed at Edinburgh Playhouse
Guest reviewer: Sarah Moyes
Madagascar may have been a hugely popular animated movie, but unfortunately, the musical adaptation fails to hit the right notes.
Madagascar The Musical is obviously hoping to follow in the success of such screen-to-stage hits as Shrek or The Lion King. This Selladoor touring production follows a group of animals from New York’s Central Park Zoo. When Marty the zebra discovers that a group of penguins are planning to escape, he joins them in a bid to break away from his life in captivity, followed by Gloria the hippo and Melman the giraffe.
After a brief run around in the city, the group find themselves on a ship headed to King Julien’s Madagascar for a new adventure. X Factor winner Matt Terry takes on the show’s lead role as Alex the lion, the king of the urban jungle who is used to being served steak rather than having to fend for himself. This is Terry’s debut acting role and he shows a lot of promise giving a strong performance, which is made even better by his incredible singing voice.
The rest of the cast is entertaining with Antoine Murray-Straughan as Marty the zebra, Jamie Lee-Morgan as Melman the giraffe and Timmika Ramsay as Gloria the hippo.
As the friends reach Madagascar in the second act, however, it is Jo Parsons who really shines as King Julien the Lemur, with children laughing along with his hilarious accent.
While there are parts of the script which are enjoyable – mainly Melman’s medical worries about a splinter to his yellow skin being jaundice – there’s just not enough substance here for it to be up there with similar musical adaptions of animated movies. With a running time of just an hour and 45 minutes (including an interval), the story feels very condensed, with not enough time for you to become fully invested before the curtain is down and the house lights are back on.
The animal puppets, designed by Max Humphries, and the costumes by Laura Rushton and Robert Allsopp are what really stands out in this production. They are bright and colourful, and really bring the show to life.
The songs here are upbeat and entertaining enough, but it’s the well-known song Move It, Move It that really gets the audience going. So much so that it appears twice in the second act. The rest of the songs aren’t very memorable. But that being said the cast can certainly sing when given the chance.
Madagascar The Musical is very much a show that only young children will enjoy. Unlike other kids shows, however, there’s just not nearly enough adult content to keep them entertained too.
This might be a good way to introduce children to the world of theatre, but overall it just lacks the punch which could have turned it from an average show to a great one.
Running time: one hour and 45 minutes (including one interval)
Edinburgh Playhouse, 18 – 22 Greenside Place, EH1 3AA. Phone booking: 0844 871 3014
Tuesday 2 – Saturday 6 October 2018
Evenings: 7pm; Matinees Weds, Sat: 2.30pm.
(NB. Note earlier – 7pm, evening start!)
Tickets: Click here to buy online.
Madagascar the Musical website: http://madagascarthemusical.co.uk/
Facebook: @MadUKTour
Twitter: @madUKtour.
Madagascar – The Musical on tour 2018/19:
2 – 6 Oct
Edinburgh
Playhouse
0844 871 3014
Book online
09 – 13 Oct
Bristol
Hippodrome
0844 871 3012
Book online
16 – 20 Oct
Ipswich
Regent
01473 433100
Book online
23 – 27 Oct
Bradford
Alhambra
01274 432 000
Book online
6 – 10 Nov
Londonderry
Millennium Forum
028 7126 4455
Book online
12 – 17 Nov
Exeter
Northcott Theatre
01392 493493
Book online
4 – 8 Dec
Brighton
Theatre Royal
0844 871 7650
Book online
Tour continues in 2019:
29 Jan – 2 Feb 2019
Grimsby
Auditorium
0300 300 035
Book online
5 – 9 Feb
Liverpool
Empire
08448 713 017
Book online
19 – 23 Feb
Reading
The Hexagon
0118 960 6060
Book online
26 Feb – 2 Mar
York
Theatre Royal/Takeover Festival
01904 623568
Book online
5 – 9 Mar
Leicester
Haymarket Theatre
0116 296 1236
Book online
12 – 16 Mar
Woking
New Victoria
0844 871 7645
Book online
19 – 23 Mar
New Brighton
Floral Pavilion
0151 666 0000
Book online
2 – 6 April
Malvern
Festival Theatre
01684 892277
Book online
8 – 13 Apr
Inverness
Eden Court
01463 234 234
Book online
23 – 27 Apr
Belfast
Grand Opera House
02890 241919
Book online
30 Apr – 4 May
Oxford
New Theatre
0844 871 3020
Book online
7 – 11 May
Wolverhampton
Grand Theatre
01902 429212
Book online
14 – 18 May
Eastbourne
Congress Theatre
01323 412000
Book online
21 – 25
Swansea
Grand Theatre
01792 475 715
Book online
28 May – 1 Jun
Hull
New Theatre
01482 300 300
Book online
ENDS
