Plymouth Theatre Review

Easy to Follow: 5

Family Friendly: 5

Must see: 3

Title: ‘The Creakers’

Venue: Theatre Royal Plymouth

Date: 01/11/2024

As a fan of new musical theatre and a lifelong Mcfly fan, I was really eager to see ‘The Creakers’ at Theatre Royal Plymouth, hoping for an exciting, energetic and fresh production that would capture the magic of the beloved children’s book by Tom Fletcher. Unfortunately, while the show did have its moments (thanks largely to some stand out performances and innovative staging) it ultimately lacked the punch that new musicals really need to truly shine. I really enjoy the album that accompanies this show but felt the performance fell flat of expectations. While I will undoubtedly listen to this soundtrack again, I wouldn’t rush out to see the musical version, which is a shame considering its vast potential.

One of the biggest issues was the lead performance. While undoubtedly a talented and accomplished singer, I didn’t feel she was right for the role and her vocal strength simply wasn’t up to the demands of the score. Several of her key numbers fell flat, missing the emotional depth and power required for the role to make it memorable. In a production that requires so heavily on the protagonist to carry the story, this was a noticeable weakness. That being said there were notable performances from Ally Kennard as Norman who completely won over the audience with his charm and powerful performance, and Iona Fraser as Ella whose skilled vocals and character portrayal were a highlight of the show. 

The pacing of the show also proved to be a challenge. While Act 1 had some energy an intrigue, it did drag in places and took far too long to introduce the characters of ‘The Creakers’ in a meaningful way. By the second act a lot of the young audience had grown restless and disengaged with the story, which should have been full of tension and adventure, but instead struggled to pick up momentum. This show would have benefited greatly from a tightening of the script with an aim of keeping attention levels in its young target audience.

Much had been made of the scariness of the ‘The Creakers’ but sadly, this was another area that the show fell short of expectations. Rather than being eerie or unsettling, ‘The Creakers’ themselves leaned too heavily into comedy. While the puppetry was first class, they failed to deliver the thrilling, spooky atmosphere that had been promised. This left both children and adults feeling underwhelmed as the creatures ended up being more pantomime than nightmare. 

That being said, there were bright spots. A handful of supporting cast gave superb performances, elevating the material and providing much-needed moments of energy and excitement. The set design was also visually appealing, helping to create the colourful and whimsical world of the play and in part made up for its shortcomings.  

Ultimately, ‘The Creakers’ has potential but didn’t quite deliver the hit I had hoped for. While we were offered glimpses of something special it felt more like a word in progress than a polished performance. The lack of a strong lead, the underwhelming depiction of ‘The Creakers’ themselves and some overall pacing issues meant, for me, this production never truly took off. It wasn’t a bad show by any means, but it lacked impact and needed more edge and polishing to become a standard new musical it aspired to be.

Review by Ami Philpott