Review: BEETLEJUICE: THE MUSICAL, Prince Edward Theatre
Tim Burton purists-look away now!
For musical fans, it's been a long time coming, but the wait is finally over. Beetlejuice: The Musical has crossed the pond and landed in London. It's loud, brash, and certainly won't please Tim Burton purists.
Loosely based on Tim Burton's beloved 1988 film, we meet the Maitlands who die after an incident with some dodgy wiring and return to haunt their own house after widower Charles Deetz and his grieving daughter Lydia move in, alongside supposed life coach and Charles’s new squeeze Delia. In a twist from the film, Beetlejuice (who has little screentime in the film) is now the host and narrator of the show, who wants to return to the real world with the help of Lydia.
David Fynn as Beetlejuice cannot be criticised for the energy and charisma he puts into the role, but the character is less a freelance "bio-exorcist" and more a vulgar, puerile, coke-snorting narcissist, joking about catching herpes and frequently rubbing his own nipples.
Photo Credit: Johan Persson
Fynn does have great chemistry with Hannah Nordberg, who is excellent as Lydia; suitably deadpan, with cracking vocals and emotional range. The Maitlands are played well and with saccharine sweetness by David Hunter and Chelsea Halfpenny.
Aimie Atkinson gets some of the best lines as the woo-woo Delia, chiming a triangle to detect good energy. The character of Otho is changed from being an interior designer in the movie to Delia's fraudulent spiritual guru. Played with creepy gusto by Richard Frame, he is hilarious fun and seriously underused.
Chastity Crisp is great value as Beetlejuice's chainsmoking mum Juno and Vanessa Aurora Sierra is in excellent voice as Miss Argentina. Credit must go to the incredibly hard-working ensemble, who bounce through David Dabbon's slick dance arrangements with aplomb.
The soundtrack has gathered something of a cult following, but there is little here that stays with you after you leave the theatre-it's all very generic. There are also so many tracks, it's hard to appreciate any of them before you are thrown into the next. Exceptions are "Dead Mom", delivered brilliantly by Nordberg, and "Creepy Old Guy" which has much tongue-in-cheek humour about the prospective underage marriage between Beetlejuice and Lydia.
Photo Credit: Johan Persson
David Korins’s set has a quirky, cartoonish look, with corners set at odd angles and garish colours. But for such a big show, some of it looks a bit cheap, Scenes in Charles's bedroom and Delia's changing room are simply furniture pulled in from the wings and set changes mostly occur behind a flimsy purple curtain, looking like it has been taken from the local church hall. Peter Nigrini’s projections add hugely to the production, with bats flying overhead and the Deetz's living room suddenly striped in black and white.
The script has been given UK-leaning updates; jokes about Paddington, the NHS, James Corden and (God help us) the 6-7 craze land with varying success. It all gives a panto-like feel to the show, which works initially, but quickly begins to grate. I expect fans won't care and will love the appearance of both the famous sandworm and the iconic "Banana Boat Song". An entertaining night out, but not a memorable one.
Beetlejuice: The Musical is booking at the Prince Edward Theatre until 17 April 2027
Photo Credits: Johan Persson
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