Cry-Baby - The Musical. Book by Mark O'Donnell & Thomas Meehan. Based on the film by John Walters. The Arcola, Ashwin Street, London 2025, 06 March -to 12 April, 4☆☆☆☆. Review: William Russell.
Photo Credit: Charlie Flint.
Cry-Baby - The Musical. Book by Mark O'Donnell & Thomas Meehan. Songs by Davbid Javerbaum & Adam Schlesinger. Based on the film by John Walters. The Arcola, Ashwin Street, London 2025, 06 March -to 12 April,
4☆☆☆☆. Review: William Russell.
“Bursting with energy.”
An Arcola theatre production directed by Mehmet Ergen, pretty well everything except the kitchen sink has been thrown at this 2008 Broadway musical – the cast is the largest ever seen there, there is a firsr rate band, energetic choreography and a plenty of talent – in an effort to make it work, It is a 4**** production but a 2** show. It is based on the film John Walters made in 1990 with Johnny Depp in the title role of the Baltimore rebel but has a different plot and songs and is quite simply an attempt by O'Donnel and Meehan to repeat the success they had with Walters' Hairspray. Ergen, in the programme, suggests that the tale of rivalry between the teenage Squares and the Drapes – Cry-Baby, leader of the Squares, falls for gorgeous Drape Alison – in 1954 Baltimore has some relevance to today's culture wars and the way certain political factions react to social progress, class based injustice and the way the social system often favours the elite. What directors see in works is sometimes hard to fathom. The show ran on Broadway for 113 performances and got far from enthusiastic reviews – Ben Brantley said it was, among other things tasteless but he did not mean it in the Walter's way I fear. The score apart the writers also substantially altered the film's plot which did not help. Not a big hit in 1990, over the years the film has become a cult favourite and did have what this production lacks – Johnny Depp, then in his pop star pretty boy prime, playing Cry-Baby. People who love musicals will love what the see at the Arcola, and people who collect musicals will find plenty to interest if not enjoy but in the long list of musicals a turkey is a turkey even with all the trimmings. It is possible to make the best of a bad job even when you don't go out of the theatre humming the tunes – let alone the scenery – and Ergen as done that. There is to be fair one memorable good joke. Alison has finally gone to meet Cry-Baby and he asks in song - “Can I kiss you with tongue?” Choreographer Chris Whittaker has devised loads of energetic routines and the band under musical director Ashton Moore belt out the banal making it sound worth listening to – the man next to me was bouncing to the beat – if not remember. As for the cast, they do as they were told as well as they can which is very well, although making the Squares camper than Chloe is odd as surely they would have been Jocks and thick as can be, and though he sings and dances well Adam Davidson in the title role is nobody's idea of a teen idol – or at least not mine. Lulu-Mae Pears sings sweetly as Alison, Elliot Allinson is nicely nasty as the leading Square, while Chad Saint Louis is truly in the Walter's mould as Dupree W Dupree – you might say divine – as one of the Drapes.
Cast
Elliot Allinson – Baldwin Blandish
Whiffle – JR Ballentyne
Laura Buhglar – Mona
India Chadwick – Wanda Woodward
Omer Cem Coltu – Drape
Ellie-Grace Cousins – Dance Captain
Adam Davidson – Cry-Baby
Joe Grundy – Ensemble
Michael Kholwadia – Drape
Ryan Heenan – Ensemble
Shirley Jameson – Mrs Cordelia Vernon-Williams
Paul Kemble – Judge.Father O'Neill
Lulu Mae Pears – Allison
Jazzy Phoenix – Pepper Walker
Chad Saint Louis – Dupree W Dupree
Eleanor Walsh – Leonora Frigid
Creatives
Director – Mehmet Ergen
Production Designer – Robert Innes Hopkins
Choreograoher – Chris Whittaker
Musical Director = Ashton Moore
Lighting Designer – David Howe
Sound Desiugner Matt Giles
