Review: The Baddies – The Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh

The Baddies at the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh
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Adapted by David Greig and Jackie Crichton from Julia Donaldson and Axel Sheffler’s Book

Directed by Katie Beard

Review by Dominic Corr

Tickets from £13.00

There’s a severe lack of stories which celebrate being bad. Or rather, have fun with their baddies and ghoulies; The Baddies, from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler (Stickman), here adapted by David Grieg and Jackie Crichton, puts the rogues, witches, and ne’er-do-wells right at the centre of this musical tale, that while ambitious, doesn’t quite leap from the page with the magic some audiences may expect from previous adaptations from Freckles Production, who work with the Lyceum Theatre to present this new musical adaptation.

Typical of Donaldson’s books, the stories are captivating and engaging without stretching into being needlessly complicated or distracting. The Baddies is no different, and Katie Beard’s direction captures the clear theming and concepts of the show without stress or issue; it’s a simply constructed story of manners and kindness – how we can forget to be polite but must never forget to be kind. But here, instead of highway rats or dragons, The Baddies concerns a trio of foul figures; a witch, a troll, and a ghost – who are very bad at what they do (no finer compliment to them) as they attempt to steal a handkerchief from Yuki Sutton’s unnamed protagonist. 

Something far from ‘being good at being bad’ is the show’s aesthetics and design – grand work from Jasmine Swan with a set and costume design that reflects a pop-up style of literature thrust into life on stage under Simon Hayes lighting. From the ‘opening-up’ of set elements, which initially seemed quaint and practical, emerges a set scattered with secrets and treasures. Swan’s costuming is incredibly tactile and creative, a more three-dimensional scale than others in the now expansive ‘Donaldson-verse’ stage adaptations. James Stirling, notably, offers both insights into Swan’s design as Ghost, enhancing features for a stage while ensuring the freedom for movement and choreography, rallying to the role with glee, matched by fellow baddies Rachel Bird and Dyfrig Morris as a cunning (if accident-prone) witch, and a clobbering troll with aim as bad as their stench in a clowning, humorous performance.

There’s a struggle of pacing which, unfortunately, plagues the main chunk of the production – the meat of the story – where the trio of baddies attempt to steal the girl’s hanky, go by in the blink of an eye, the show feeling a bit padded with additional numbers. It’s a strong start, especially with Lottie Mar O’Kill as Mama Mouse in an eloquent and poised role, which kicks off hopes thanks to solid vocals and a performance which sells Joe Stilgoe’s songs in a Sherman Brother’s rippled lyrics and melodies from – timeless, designed for character and storytelling.

But this pacing and promise significantly dips as the story flows and pads itself – necessary to offer a longer and more valuable show for audiences, but some of the scenes are far less flowing into the broader narrative – even if they provide some catchy numbers, and offers the show much more of that theatrical nature to stand apart from the book. It comes together as a touch stilted and performed at, rather than with or to the audience – a peculiarity given The Baddies finds itself a perfectly placed quasi-Halloween panto, where audience participation is encouraged, but not to a great deal. There was an opportunity to capitalise on the concept here, ‘Baddies’, and playfully toy with the ideas of right and wrong, the grey area of a contemporary world, and this adaptation struggles to find a reach outside of the pages of the original story.

Still wholesome, the resolution comes a touch quickly, even for a production aimed at younger audiences, but finds a lot more of its energy and interactive elements the closer the production comes to wrapping up = a shame, as its brilliance in set design, creative lyrics, and spirit suggest a tighter and more engaging show underneath. Clean and straightforward, with charm and some snippets of slapstick and spookery, The Baddies makes itself an ideal pre-Halloween treat for those who might just get a kick out of being a little naughty.

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