‘Madagascar the Musical’’, Royal & Derngate, Northampton

My son, nephew and I were amongst the audience of all ages enjoying the opening night of the vibrant ‘Madagascar the Musical’ at the Royal & Derngate Theatre, Northampton.

Alex the Lion – Joseph Hewlett

The fun-filled, fast paced production lasting just 1 hour and 40 minutes stayed true to the Dreamworks animation. For those unfamiliar with the much-loved story, it follows Alex the lion (charismatic King of the zoo) along with his adventurous friends Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe, and Gloria the hippo. Their lives of blissful captivity in New York’s Central Park Zoo are turned upside down when Marty’s curiosity leads to a daring escape, leading them to an unexpected journey of self-discovery and friendship.

Francisco Gomes as Marty

The sense of familiarity supported my son and nephew in feeling somewhat connected to the storyline and characters within. Arthur, 6, enjoyed the penguins and the puppetry and vocal delivery used to bring their cheeky personalities to life! Alongside commenting on the sound effects used for the lion’s roar to create atmosphere. Fraser, 9’s favourite part was Joseph Hewlett’s portrayal of being shot with a sedative and how he ‘slowed down all of his movements and his face went weird which was really funny!’.

Jarnéia Richard-Noel – Gloria the Hip Hip Hippo

The second half brought a welcomed change of pace and brought the eagerly awaited arrival of King Julian who did not disappoint! Karim Zeroual for us, was the making of the production with his comic timing, tenacity and charisma he held the audience captivated. The appreciation only grew when the music kicked in and the song ‘I Like to Move it Move it’ flooded the auditorium. We danced, sang (loudly!) and clapped and the ambience in the audience felt noticeably more energetic.

Joseph Hewlett as Alex the Lion

With the film being so iconic, the script writing fell short of expectation however the actors worked hard to engage the audience throughout with their energy, commitment to role and use of stage space. With such a small cast, this was somewhat of a challenge. Their vocal ability enabled them to connect with the audience in moments, however, some of the songs felt repetitive and awkward.

Jospeh Hewlett as Alex and Francisco Gomes as Marty

On the whole, the performance had lots of positives with Tom Rogers’ costume designs being highly effective and some of the staging, such as the crates that lined the 3 sides feeling unique and considered. Howard Hudson’s lighting design choices also supported the action brilliantly in enabling us to be transported to different settings.

Karim Zeroual King Julien in Madgascar

Straightforward and familiar ‘Madagascar the Musical’ is one for the children, delivering a theatrical experience that only live theatre can offer!

Madgascar Penguins 

Madagascar the Musical can be seen at Royal & Derngate until Saturday 21st July, with performances at 6pm on Friday, at 2pm and 6pm on Saturday, and 11am and 5pm on Sunday.
Tickets priced from £17 – can be booked by calling the Royal & Derngate Box Office on 01604 624811 or online at http://www.royalandderngate.co.uk

Marty and the Penguins 

Review written by Rachel Carnell: The Travel Locker Press Team

All photographs – Credit: Phil Tragen)