Madagascar The Musical at the Kings Theatre Portsmouth Review

Reviewed by Amy Adeliyi

I had the pleasure of talking my 3-year-old daughter to Madagascar the Musical at the Kings Theatre in Southsea, Portsmouth for their opening night, and what a highly energetic musical show it was. My daughter absolutely loved the dancing and singing and was disappointed after every song thinking that the show had already finished. Madagascar the Musical was a very slick show, seamlessly moving from scene to scene. The costumes were fantastic, matching so closely to the animated characters you could imagine they were real from the movie. The set was minimalistic with wooden packing crates as the general back drop, interspersed with skyline, train station props and scenery for the jungles/beaches of Madagascar. A firm favourite for me was Gloria (Timmika Ramsay) with a fantastic voice and comedic character, she definitely owned the stage. The audience loved King Julien (Jo Parsons) from his quirky one liners to his amusing movement around the stage. Alex (Matt Terry) and Marty (Antoine Murray-Straughan) sounded just like the movie characters and had a great rapport on stage. They all had a brilliant ranges and the energy to dance and jump around the stage.

The Kings Theatre is a beautiful building with ornate gilded decorations and beautiful scenery embellished on the ceilings. The red carpet taking you up the stairs to the theatre seats makes you feel special and many of the audience dressed up in the best for a night at the theatre. As you got to the top of the stairs, the theatre had a merchandise table where you can purchase programmes, t-shirts, hats, and flashing wands from the show, although there wasn’t any pressure to purchase any extras.

The acts were quite short at 40 minutes for Act 1 and 40 minutes for Act 2, with a 20 minute interval. The bar is open before the performance and during the interval to purchase snacks and drinks. You can also pre-order drinks to collect in the interval to save queueing time. There are also stands to purchase ice-cream tubs in the interval. The staff were very friendly and could be seen interacting with children in the audience during the interval and offering guidance on directions to the bar and amenities.

Parking can be an issue around the theatre, but if you are able to arrive early for the show and drive around adjacent roads you may be able to park on the streets surrounding the theatre. There is a taxi rank outside the theatre and bus stops close by.

Definitely a show for younger audiences and fans of the movie will not be disappointed. My daughter has already asked when she can go and watch it again. A 5 * rating from us.

Rating: 5/5

Tickets cost from £16 to £30.50 (booking fees may apply).

Madagascar The Musical is at the Kings Theatre in Portsmouth from 21-25 August 2018, for more information or to book tickets click visit kingsportsmouth.co.uk or call the box office on 023 9282 8282.

The Kings Theatre, Albert Road, Southsea, Portsmouth, Hants, PO5 2QJ | 023 9282 8282