Newcastle Theatre Royal, 05/09/2023
Are ya ready kids?? We took a trip the pineapple under the sea to see the first UK tour of The SpongeBob Musical at its final stop in Newcastle Theatre Royal. Since the tv show aired in 1999, this simple sponge has captured the hearts of millions around the world, so imagine our excitement to see that we were getting a musical adaptation! With a classic feature-style storyline following our yellow hero SpongeBob (Lewis Cornay) saving Bikini Bottom with the help of his best friend Patrick Star (Irfan Damani) and companion Sandy Cheeks (Eloise Davies at this performance), this new musical promises all the elements to entertain the whole family. Read on for our five reasons to dive deep to Bikini Bottom and see The SpongeBob Musical!
1. The costumes are so vibrant
For a family show based on a cartoon you would expect bright and fun costumes, but this show goes above and beyond. Costume designer Sarah Mercadé has created some amazing interpretations of the cartoon, with large pieces like a comical four-legged Squidward to smaller details even down to the stripes on SpongeBob’s socks! The ensemble costumes are wonderful and the details of the band’s costumes are great too, each member with headgear assembled with classic ocean waste like plastic cups or colourful straws. This show really is a feast for the eyes!
2. It has a unique mix of songs
The SpongeBob Musical is quite unique in the way that each song has been written by a different famous pop or rock artist. There’s numbers in the show written by Plain White T’s (‘BFF’), Panic at the Disco (‘(Just a) Simple Sponge’), John Legend (‘(I Guess I) Miss You’) and even David Bowie & Brian Eno! (‘No Control’). This separated approach to songwriting really helps each number stand out in its own right, give a different style and be written to be the very best it can be, allowing so many songs to showcase the talent of the cast, blasting notes across the whole show.
3. There’s so much comedy
The jokes in this show just don’t stop coming, and so many of them land so well. There’s use of tv screens at the front of the stage to help with narration that even are used to provide satirical references to covid protocols and hint at adult jokes when Patrick Star struggles to rhyme anything with “rock”… written by Kyle Jarrow, he is no stranger to satire with a comedy musical about Scientology under his belt too!
4. There’s lots of references to the TV show
For big fans of SpongeBob SquarePants, you won’t be disappointed with the references in this show, from the noises of iconic walks of Mr Krabbs and Squidward, to direct quotes from the 2004 movie (Plankton’s “it’s lemon scented!!” line making an appearance) and of course we have a direct interaction with a pirate, encouraging us all to join in with the classic “aye aye captain!”. each reference feels fitting too without any forced moments.
5. It’s a show that appeals to all
Between us, John is a fan of SpongeBob and Kayley has never seen an episode ever, but we both took so much enjoyment from the show. You definitely don’t need to be a fan of the original TV show to enjoy this musical. The content, songs and comedy can really be enjoyed by everyone. The comedy definitely appeals to both children and adults, there’s fantastic choreography (see ‘(Just A) Simple Sponge’ with extremely clever use of props), great songs, and an engaging story, sure to entertain all.
It’s such a shame that this rounds off the first ever UK tour of The SpongeBob Musical as we would love to help spread the word on what a fun and exciting show this is. Going in with not massive expectations we were really impressed and thoroughly enjoyed the show. Be sure to catch it if you’re in the North East this week by getting your tickets by clicking here!
The Stagey Couple 