Review: The Baddies

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The Baddies love being bad. That’s right, the villains in this new musical with songs by Joe Stilgoe (Zog, Zog and the Flying Doctors), are the genuine item. Troll (Dyfrig Morris), Witch (Rachel Bird), and Ghost (James Stirling) are neither misunderstood nor redeemable – but they are a lot of fun. They even have a bit of a banger of a theme song in a swinging ‘The Worst Baddies in the World’.

So when they are challenged by Mamma Mouse (Lottie Mae O’Kill) to steal a little girl’s handkerchief, the wicked trio set to it with gusto. How hard could it be, right?

This latest adaptation of a Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler picture book is a quality undertaking. Adapted by the Lyceum’s departing Artistic Director David Grieg and Jackie Crichton, the musical opens upon the home of Mamma Mouse and her three children. Bedtime is fast approaching and a story is required, cue ‘The Baddies’, but not before a charming and Disney-esque “Say Sorry, Say Thank You, Say Please”.

“They even have a bit of a banger of a theme song in a swinging ‘The Worst Baddies in the World’.”

Once Troll, Witch, and Ghost have introduced themselves through a mix of slapstick and melody, The Girl (Yuki Sutton) arrives, complete with a soaring song about climbing hills and being brave. Sutton has the chops to pull it off, but the relentlessly top-voice melodic lines may prove challenging on a long tour.

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Designer Jasmine Swan offers a delightful little house for our hero to stay in plus a suitably picturesque backdrop for ensuing, and futile attempts to scare her witless. The costuming is on point throughout, including a fabulous puppet witch’s cat, but a little let down by an ogre in the finale who looks somewhere between Elmo and a giant promotional message bug.

Otherwise, this wonderfully tuneful family adventure trips along nicely, offering plenty of laughs, and good-hearted fun. The blend of drama, song, and Mamma Mouse’s live narration makes for an accessible, entertaining family show. Its success stems, in no small part, from strong performances throughout. O’Kill is particularly charming as the matriarch mouse, whilst a versatile Stirling’s surprising ‘half-time’ costume change proves a particular crowd pleaser.

If the expanded ending giving our vanquished ‘Baddies’ something akin to a happy ending is a little vapid, it at least arrives with a joyful final anthem about everyone having a place in the world performed by the entire ensemble.

All Images: Jess Shurte