As someone who grew up watching Spongebob Squarepants, I thought it was a little odd that it was turned into a musical back in 2016. But the soundtrack was a fun combination of songs from artists, many of which I liked, so I listened. I just wasn’t sure if it would work on stage. As someone who had zero chances of going to New York to see it, I figured I’d have to wait for it to come to the UK. It finally has, on it’s UK Premier Tour.
Needless to say, The Spongebob Musical does work.
It has all the typical themes of Spongebob, friendship and working together, and funny jokes. I liked that it wasn’t trying to be too ‘down with the kids’ in a painful and cringey way. Notoriously, animation has some adult-aimed jokes, and there are a few in the show too. Some of the best gags are easily the sounds. The ensemble members making the sounds for Squidward or Mr Krab’s steps or meowing for Gary are hilarious. Even better is the acknowledgement of them and the other slight 4th wall breaks through the show.
Audience
The Spongebob Musical is a show mainly for families, but it’s not the type of show made solely for kids that make no sense at all. Anyone could easily see this musical, especially people who grew up with Spongebob (or had to sit through it because now grow-up kids used to watch it). It also means that parents won’t suffer (too much) through it.
Music
The music in this show is almost constant, so if you don’t like shows like Les Miserables or Hamilton because there’s a song after every five lines of dialogue, maybe it’s not for you. But the songs are good, fun, and catchy, with good staging and use of what seemed like UV lights. They also knew when to focus on the emotion of the characters, which can easily be ignored or left behind.
Performance
The performers are something that makes this show special. Reece Kerrige as the cover for Spongebob was fantastic, Ifran Damani played a loveable Patrick and Richard J Hunt was a hilariously greeedy Mr. Krabs. I especially loved Chrissie Bhima as Sandy Cheeks, who was always my favourite character in the show. Pearl, played by Sarah Freer, was an amazing (and I wanted to know how they made her dress). I also adored the brilliant chemistry between Divina de Campo and Hannah Lowther as Plankton and Karen the Computer respectively. At my venue, I also had the joy of seeing Tom Read Wilson as Squidward, who was characteristically grumpy in the best way possible.
Overall, Spongebob The Musical is a fun, campy show with some good messages for kids. Whether you take your family or you’re someone who grew up with Spongebob, it’s a fun day/night out. I saw the show in the Wolverhampton Grand (yes, I know the review is a bit late). I am not affiliated with the Wolverhampton Grand or Spongebob The Musical, but if you’d like to buy tickets for the last few venues, click here.