Tom Fletcher’s The Creakers a Magical Musical Adventure at Theatre Royal Plymouth
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Laura B
It was no ‘trick’ that I was invited to A MAGICAL MUSICAL ADVENTURE during the Halloween Half Term week and it was a complete ‘treat’ to be part of the audience watching the world premiere in Plymouth of Tom Fletcher’s (McFly) best-selling spooky story THE CREAKERS and even more exciting to discover that Tom himself was sat only a few seats away from us!
Tom has brought his smash hit, bestselling book The Creakers to the stage in a brand-new musical for all the family.
We were taken on a magical, mischievous adventure into an incredible new world. Lucy’s relationship with her dad was tricky as he embarrassed her at times, yet they had a loving parent-child relationship (fairly true to life for most children at one stage or another) with Lucy waking up one morning to discover something very strange had taken place overnight. All the grown-ups in her town have disappeared. All the other children in Whiffington were happy and excited. No more grown-ups, meaning no more school, no more bedtimes and no more rules! But Lucy wanted her dad back – and nothing was going to stop her.
There is much to love about this show – it is certainly colourful, with fabulous costumes, fantastic choreography and it’s full of happiness, love, friendship issues and kindness – with every song you’ll be tapping your feet and jigging along in your seat. If you are a fan of the book and McFly you will love the music! The cast each takes on the role of multiple characters, with each actor playing – a child, an adult and a Creaker, involving multiple changes of costumes throughout the show. The stage sets (built from recycled materials, rubbish, scaffolding etc…) work well adapting simply between night and day.
Lucy, played by Eloise Davies; is a natural leader, as well as an instinctive problem solver, with her vocals throughout the show, being clear and focussed. Amid the chaos, Lucy takes it upon herself to investigate and locate the missing parents. As she searches for answers, she discovers a mysterious creature called the Creaker King in Woleb, the world of Creakers, hidden under her bed. The Creaker puppets (all created locally from recycled and sustainable local materials and fabrics) potentially could have been quite scary for children but as you can see the faces of the puppeteers, become humanised and less scary to the younger members of the audience.
The strange state of the world she discovers leads her to wonder if the Creakers are responsible for the parents’ disappearance from Whiffington. Lucy teams up with Ally Kennard in his role of Norman Quirk, a smart and organised Boy Scout, with multiple scout badges and Ella, the mayor’s confident and authoritative daughter, played by Iona Fraser, to formulate a plan to rescue the parents. Lucy Dungston is a likeable character whose curiosity and determination drive the story forward. Norman Quirk’s sharp wit and intelligence make him an excellent addition to the team. A thrilling adventure follows as the trio tries to uncover the truth behind the strange happenings. Most children have wondered at some time or other if there is another world under their bed, and this musical adaptation of the book makes a light-hearted fantasy out of a common fear.
Lucy rescues all the parents who then gather together and want to wipe out The CREAKERS but Lucy with her new friendship group (during the rescue mission Lucy befriended a Creaker called Sniffy who helped her escape) wants to help them to live in harmony with humans and so she creates a recycling centre to provide sustainable living for The Creakers.
Initially at the start of the show there were some sound issues with the microphones but this was quickly resolved. Throughout the show their singing voices were fantastic and it was apparent they had worked hard on perfecting the performance for us, bringing the book to life!
The venue…
We arrived at the theatre at around 6.20 pm giving us enough time before the curtain lifting at 7 pm to take in the surroundings and the atmosphere of the evening before taking our seats for the show. The ground floor entrance area did become a little crowded, but we were able to move to a less crowded area to enjoy a pre-theatre drink. The bar served a selection of drinks and snacks and although we had to queue this was fast-moving with three members of staff efficiently serving the drinks.
We were shown to our seats with the support of the theatre staff, which was helpful. Once seated the theatre was cool and comfortable with air conditioning. Overall we all had a fantastic evening and felt that this show was suitable for the whole family. The quirky characters and catchy songs make it a must-see show. I will be looking at what’s on at The Theatre Royal Plymouth in the future as I plan to book another family outing!
Rating: 5/5
Tickets cost from £18 (no transaction fee)
Tom Fletcher’s The CREAKERS A Magical Musical Adventure is at Theatre Royal Plymouth 29 Oct–02 Nov 2024 for more information or to book tickets visit https://theatreroyal.com/whats-on/creakers/ or call the box office on 01752 668282
Theatre Royal Plymouth Royal Parade, Plymouth PL1 2TR