Spongebob the Musical
03 August 2023
Southbank Centre
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Okay, so as most people of my generation, I was a huge Spongebob fan for a long long while, so hearing the musical was finally coming to London was very exciting! I managed to attend the gala night to check out this new musical.
The first thing that struck me was the stage and costume design. It’s not an easy feat to translate a cartoon sponge and his sea creature friends into a human representation without making it look ridiculous. This production has made excellent choices, dressing the actors in bright colours that really convey which character is represented without going too far. I especially loved Spongebob, Larry the Lobster, Plankton, and Mrs. Puff who had such bright and fun costumes that really caught the essence of the characters!
Story wise, it’s a fun little doomsday panic story that brings out the main characteristics of the chaotic inhabitants of Bikini Bottom. An under water volcano is about to completely devastate the small town, which leads to several conflicting ideas of how to proceed, including a full on end-of-days fight and of course complete ignorance towards Sandy Cheecks’ scientific solution to save everyone, while Plankton uses the opportunity to scheme his evil schemes. The story really lets every one of the characters shine, while being simple enough for children to enjoy and be engaged, of course with plenty of jokes strewn in for the adults in the audience.
Musically it’s quite up-beat and fun, though the songs are pretty forgettable and serve more as a vehicle for the story rather than being the main attraction. After the show, my friends and I struggled remembering, or even telling apart, most of the songs. They’re enjoyable, but not ones I’d add to my musical playlist in a hurry.
Overall, a really fun musical for all ages if your expectations aren’t too high musically. It’s high energy, as Spongebob ought to be, and an absolute treat for fans. But I doubt it’ll have staying power in the long run.