Bugsy Malone The Musical At Theatre Royal, Nottingham Review

Reviewed by Lindsay Burton

Bugsy Malone The Musical was a toe-tapping delight for the whole family. Being a family who absolutely adore musicals and being fans of the film, I was very excited to see this musical adaptation and we wholeheartedly agreed that is did not disappoint!

The distinctive set design together with detailed costumes (Jon Bauser) and lithe choreography (curtesy of Drew McOnie) created a magical atmosphere transporting us to down town New York where our story begins. Fat Sam’s speakeasy bar and the turf wars of rival hoodlums Fat Sam and Dandy Dan set the background of the lives of our two lovebirds, Bugsy Malone and Blousy Brown. With splurge guns, custard pies, and over-sized suits, the lead roles are all played by children between the ages of 9-15. Supporting these up and coming stars, an ensemble of adults and their clever choreography of dances brought fun and energy onto the stage and into the performance. From the first second right through to the final mega mix, which had the entire audience on its feet, we loved every moment of the Bugsy Malone performance. It was evident that the young actors were excited and the buzz off stage matched the excitement on stage. I was so impressed when Fizzy, played by Elliot Arthur Mugume remained in complete control when he forgot a few of the lyrics during his solo, Tomorrow.

My personal favourite numbers were the show stopping “So you want to be a boxer” and the side-splitting car chase sequence but an absolute massive shout out to the principal cast members for the pure talent and effort, job well done!!!! Delilah Bennett-Cardy made a superb Blousey and were love her rendition of Ordinary Fool. Shaun Sharma made a punchy Bugsy, lots of talent and energy provided by this pocket rocket. Fayth Ifil, Isham Sankoh, Kayla-Mai Alvares and Kit Kranston make up the rest of this principal cast and together they make quite a dynamic team!
We were gifted tickets to Bugsy Malone the Musical and attended the press night at Nottingham Royal Theatre. The production is currently on tour around the UK until February 2023. This is a highly recommended show for families. My own children came with me and they do tend to find it magical to watch children their own age create such magic on stage and in front of such a grand audience. The young performers took control of the stage with amazing energy, audience interaction and comedy timing. With a running time of 2 hours including an interval, it’s also a very easy and enjoyable way to spend an evening as the nights start to draw in. We had a great evening at the theatre, the audience had a great night at the theatre and the cast had a great night at the theatre! And in the words of Dandy Dan, “And now my friends, listen to what I’m telling you and listen good…” Do not miss this show, you’ll be sorry.

This show is running at Nottingham Theatre Royal until 6th November and tickets, starting from £20.50, can be purchased by following this link https://trch.co.uk/whats-on/bugsy-malone-22/