If ever proof was needed that anything and everything can be turned into a musical, then perhaps it comes in the form of the wonderfully wacky SpongeBob The Musical. Based on the Nickelodeon cartoon series about a sponge who lives in an undersea pineapple, this Broadway hit arrives at London’s Southbank Centre as part of a UK tour.
SquarePants are as absent from the title as they are from the stage, because very cleverly SpongeBob doesn’t attempt to create a carbon copy of the cartoon, but utilises Sarah Mercadé’s brightly coloured costume design to create the unmistakable look of the inhabitants of Bikini Bottom.
All of our favourite characters from the show are here, much to the delight of younger audience members who could barely contain their excitement. The same could be said for the scores of adults who turned out in cosplay for this below the ocean adventure.
In Kyle Jarrow’s book, Bikini Bottom is under threat from a ready to erupt volcano. The residents fear they are doomed, but SpongeBob, Patrick Star and Sandy Cheeks believe they have what it takes to save themselves and their neighbours from certain annihilation.
There are numerous subplots; Squidward longing to appear on the stage, and Sheldon J. Plankton taking advantage of the crisis to hatch yet another evil plan to name just two. But the thrust of the story goes a little deeper than you might expect.
The plight facing the town of Bikini Bottom bears striking similarities to the recent pandemic, and director, Tara Overfield Wilkinson, has leant into this, look out for the three word slogans and toilet roll hoarders. The townspeople turn on each other, refusing to believe science, acting in selfish interests, all under a corrupt government (any of that sound familiar?).
By the end, of course, they’ve all learned a valuable lesson, but for younger audience members this is just one big brightly coloured party with a quite wonderful score. Each song has been written individually by a host of famous names, Cyndi Lauper and John Legend amongst them. Yet it mostly feels like a cohesive piece and while the story is clearly shaped around the songs, it all works well.
Mesmerising choreography from Fabian Aloise keeps everything a bundle of energetic buoyancy. Not that there’s ever a lack of energy, Lewis Cornay in the title role is like a firecracker, constantly fizzing with unpredictable delight, and has the mannerisms of SpongeBob down to a tee.
It’s a fabulous cast on the whole, Gareth Gates as Squidward (the role is shared with Tom Read Wilson) is dryly charming, while Irfan Damani as Patrick and Chrissie Bhima as Sandy deliver some out of this world vocals, and Divina De Campo is deliciously scheming as the villainous Plankton.
Critics adored the Broadway production and now that SpongeBob the Musical has made it to this side of the ocean it’s clear to see why. It’s an ingenious take on a beloved TV series, with super catchy tunes and a cast riding an energetic wave.
