Review: FUN AT THE BEACH ROMP-BOMP-A-LOMP!!, Southwark Playhouse (Borough)
Danny Kaan
Listen up all you cool cats and kittens! Are you ready for some Fun at the Beach...Romp-Bomp-a-Lomp?! Well we headed down to the Southwark Playhouse to find out and witness the world premiere of one of the most fun and bonkers musicals we’ve ever seen.
Fun at the Beach… takes place on a hot sunny day playing host to the legendary ‘Beach Romp-Bomp-a-Lomp’ competition. The cast take on a selection of increasing difficult and deadly challenges as they compete to win King or Queen of the Beach. Of course, as you might expect from a musical, there is also a heavy emphasis on love. Will the guy get the girl? Well the ‘Beach Romp-Bomp-a-Lomp’ competition might have something to say about that.
Mark Bell, who directed The Play That Goes Wrong, continues to demonstrate his talent for comedy and this show will have you laughing from start to finish. It is always wonderful to see how the Southwark Playhouse transforms their small space. For Fun at the Beach… Emily Bestow has created a colourful and retro backdrop for a wealth of slapstick comedy. Vibrant costumes accompany energetic dance numbers performance by the cast with sensational style and sass to fit the nostalgic vibe.
Fun at the Beach… is a parody of a juxebox musical and the action is accompanied by a plethora of musical numbers inspired by classic 20th Century songs such as ‘The Loco-Motion’, ‘Surfin’ U.S.A.’ and ‘It’s my Party’, played by an brilliant stage-side band. Brandon Lambert has done an excellent job crafting these upbeat numbers that strike just the right balance between taking the mickey and appreciation... which coincidently is the name of the show’s sassiest number that pays homage to Aretha Franklin’s ‘Respect’. The lyrics are clever and witty and slowly reveal the emotions of the characters who may seem shallow at first.
The cast are outstanding all displaying their talents for singing and comedy in equal measure. Janice Landry is charming as the simple, foolish girl Chastity. Jack Whittle oozes charisma as ‘bum’ Dude. Tom Babbage is delightful as the dorky Joe who quickly falls for Mary-Joe played by Ellie Clayton. She starts off shy and unassuming but soon Mary-Joe grows into her own and Clayton delivers sensational vocals. As does Katie Oxman who gives a large-than-life performance as Chickie, the matriarch of the group. She has her eyes on the prize, namely Queen of the Beach and Dickie played by Damien James whose smooth and dulcet tones bring depth to the wonderful harmonies. It would be remiss not to mention Bradley Adams and Dixie Newman who speed on stage for the musical numbers bringing a boost of energy before exiting with a refrain of ‘wow that was fun’, which really does some this show up.
Fun at the Beach… has been marketed as Grease meets Squid Game and we would agree, this is an upbeat musical with a dark side. The show leans into the conventions of musicals and then elevates them though the medium of idiocy. The book by Martin Landry, who also plays the show’s announcer, emphasises these stereotypes. They bring a lot of laughs but at times some plot choices perhaps take the silliness too far. This is a show that is incredibly self-aware and unserious and the repeated gags create a charming familiarity to the material. However, there were moments where at the tenth time of a joke being repeated you could feel the audience groan. Despite the increasingly morbid humour and descent into absurdity Fun at the Beach… is a show that you can’t help but go along with. If you embrace a silly attitude you are sure to have an incredible time at the ‘Beach Romp-Bomp-a-Lomp’.
**** Four Stars
Reviewed by Sophie Luck
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