★★★★

“You come away feeling slightly giddy, but feeling good”

With the proliferation of new musicals roller coasting into theatreland, you’d think it hard to find an original subject to base one around. Currently, there seem to be two ways to go; either you can dredge up an old, safe favourite or else take the quirky route and think outside the box. Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell are obviously advocates of the latter. Six teenagers who die in a freak accident on a fairground ride is an unlikely starting point. A hard sell perhaps? “Ride the Cyclone” first appeared on the Canadian fringe in 2009, before heading Off-Broadway, via Chicago, a few years later. It has taken nearly ten years for it to cross the pond for its European premiere in London but, like those long, concertina queues we used to find ourselves in for the latest fairground attraction, it has been worth the wait.

The musical begins with a mysterious and headless girl circling the stage, singing a short song, dreaming of life. Cut to the even more mysterious ‘The Amazing Karnak’ (Edward Wu), a mechanical fortune teller, watching from on high. He is able to predict the exact moment and method of a person’s death. Even his own – which is very imminent, despite him already being in the afterlife (we can overlook this minor quibble) preparing himself to introduce the perished teenagers. Karnak has a game for them. Each will be given the chance to tell their story, in song, to win the chance to return to life. What follows is a cycle of song and monologue that occasionally baffles but always delights with its mix of absurdist humour, candid insight, bizarre ideas, emotional honesty and musical virtuosity. Irreverently frivolous one moment, genuinely heartfelt the next. Admittedly it borders on the saccharine at times, but the writers’ sharp knife always cuts through it in time.

Wu’s Karnak holds the fort like a camp and deadpan Greek God. First up is Ocean, played with real zest by Baylie Carson. Satirically self-important, she still manages to get the others’ backs up, especially best friend Constance (Robyn Gilbertson). We have to wait a while for Constance’s song – ‘Jawbreaker/Sugar Cloud’ – during which Gilbertson truly shines, revealing a deeper character than one who lost her virginity ‘just to get it out of the way’. A highlight of the show is ‘Noel’s Lament’, a gorgeous cabaret pastiche performed by Damon Gould with expert dancing and a velvet voice as he dreams of being a French prostitute. The eclectic quality of the musical numbers is demonstrated when Bartek Kraszewski’s Mischa brilliantly launches into a gangsta rap number complete with a flourish of breakdancing, while Grace Galloway’s headless girl lends her gorgeous operatic soprano to ‘The Ballad of Jane Doe’; a stunning waltz number that induces goosebumps. Then there is Ricky, whose dream of becoming an intergalactic saviour of sexy cat women (don’t ask) is brought to life in song; stunningly performed by Jack Maverick.

Director Lizzi Gee amazingly manages to bring cohesion to this disparate and totally bizarre concoction of life stories. Her choreography is meticulous, adapting itself to each and every genre and musical style seamlessly. There are moments when the inter-song monologues outstay their welcome, but the overall ride still remains on the peaks rather than the troughs. Musical Director Ben McQuigg’s five-piece band mixes power with clarity, and embraces the variety of the repertoire with panache. Every cast member has the vocal, movement and acting skills to tackle the material, making this eccentric show appear to be the most natural and obvious idea for a musical imaginable.

It is a thrilling ride, one which has that sense of danger even though you want to laugh out loud, right up to its upbeat finale. You come away feeling slightly giddy, but feeling good. Against all better judgement you find yourself wanting to join the queue again for another go.

GET DOWN TONIGHT

Charing Cross Theatre

★★

“glitters with disco sparkle but dig a little deeper and it loses its shine”

KC and the Sunshine Band shaped the sound of the 70s, so it was only a matter of time before their iconic repertoire became a musical. Though like the plot of ‘Get Down Tonight’, this musical needs some help finding its groove.

Disco dancers burst onto the stage as a man in a glittery jumpsuit busts out ‘Keep It Comin’ Love’ on a keyboard. This is ‘Harry’ (KC and the Sunshine Band frontman, Harry Wayne Casey) who welcomes the audience to the story of his life – except he needs a little help making it a musical. Enter Dee and other friends who keep his tale on track despite constant interruptions, charting a life filled with love and revealing a little more about this famously enigmatic man.

Written by J. F. Lawton, the text needs work. The first half is stuffed with narrative devices that don’t advance the plot: Dee’s persistent meta-commentary on structuring a musical stalls character development, reading more like a lesson than witty critique; an ominous voice interrupts without purpose, lacking a big reveal. Key plot points are glossed over, such as Harry’s progress from recording studio stock handler to international star – we segue mid-song which I find particularly confusing. Others feel underdeveloped, such as Orly disappearing before returning in the finale, and Dee hurriedly explaining the tragic reason she won’t attend their 10-year anniversary. It aims to be a tight one-act piece, but the second half needs fleshing out; currently we end on some slightly clumsy exposition followed by a megamix which doesn’t quite rescue things. There are some beautiful moments, such as Harry and Gina’s heart wrenching rendition of ‘When You’re Alone Tonight’, but the overall impression is uneven.

Harry Wayne Casey’s iconic hits still shine, cleverly remixed to serve the story by providing both upbeat and introspective moments. That said, some are loosely woven in, such as Gina’s first song, ‘Give It Up’, and others feel confusing, such as the aforementioned ‘Please Don’t Go/I Never Thought I’d Love Again’ transition to stardom. Though happily, Casey’s score never strays too far from a hit.

Lisa Stevens’ direction and choreography bring out a lot of sparkle, unleashing an energetic cast that channels 60s and 70s soul. The liberal use of dance breathes life into the show, with high-energy choreography stealing the spotlight at times. More could be done with some moments, such as the prominently featured keys on wheels lacking an impactful reappearance; ‘Who Do You Love’ could be even more heightened, though I enjoy Gina pulling the plug.

Bretta Gerecke’s set design layers levels and can conjure locations with a single standout piece. Tom Rogers’ costumes dazzle with flirty flair, mixing hippy chic with disco glitz and even blowing Bob Mackie a kiss. Jai Morjaria’s lighting design is stunning, throwing bursts of dazzling colour in amongst iconic spotlight moments, glowing records and starry night skies. Chris Whybrow’s sound design keeps that funky horn playing but suffers from fuzzy mics and the beat dropping out at one point.

The tight-knit cast tries their hardest to bring some depth to their rather thin characters. The four leads, Ross Harmon (Harry), Adam Taylor (Orly), Annabelle Terry (Gina) and Paige Fenlon (Dee) all have cracking voices, especially Fenlon’s high belt which she sadly doesn’t get to use that often. Taylor’s Orly oozes charisma, causing a palpable spike in energy even if his accent goes off-piste. Terry’s Gina gives us naïve girl next door and heartbroken hopeful. Harmon’s Harry is charming while conveying inner conflict but, like the rest of the characters, could do with more to work with.

‘Get Down Tonight’ glitters with disco sparkle but dig a little deeper and it loses its shine. The music draws you in, but the writing pulls you out. Still, fans will enjoy the hits and a rare peek into Harry Wayne Casey’s inner world.

RIDE THE CYCLONE

Southwark Playhouse Elephant

★★★★

“You come away feeling slightly giddy, but feeling good”

RIDE THE CYCLONE

Southwark Playhouse Elephant

Reviewed on 19th November 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Danny Kaan

Recently reviewed at Southwark Playhouse venues:

RIDE THE CYCLONE

RIDE THE CYCLONE

RIDE THE CYCLONE

GET DOWN TONIGHT

Charing Cross Theatre

★★

“glitters with disco sparkle but dig a little deeper and it loses its shine”

GET DOWN TONIGHT

Charing Cross Theatre

Reviewed on 30th September 2025

by Hannah Bothelton

Photography by Danny Kaan

Previously reviewed at this venue:

GET DOWN TONIGHT

GET DOWN TONIGHT

GET DOWN TONIGHT

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