SHUCKED

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

★★★★★

“The fun factor is dolloped on as thick as melted butter on crispy corn on the cob”

You can imagine exactly whereabouts in the United States Cob County (the fictional location for the musical comedy “Shucked”) would lie. Somewhere on the border of Arkansas and Oklahoma, where the corn is as high as an elephant’s eye, and the town-folk, dressed like raggedy scarecrows, can’t see beyond the wall of maize that shields the outside world. ‘People don’t leave Cob County’, we are told. Well, hey, if I found myself there, I’d never want to leave either judging by the sheer joy even just two hours in their company can give.

Regents Park Open Air Theatre is the perfect backdrop for this real gem of a musical. A score of catchy tunes; a Prairie-sized dose of charm and compassion; a wagonload of amazeballs song and dance and the corniest jokes you dare to imagine, all roll into town, via Broadway, to give us a night we’re going to remember for quite some time. Robert Horn’s book openly celebrates its own richly flavoured cheesiness by packing it full of puns and punchlines, while Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally’s country-tinged music and lyrics keeps the smile firmly on our faces with their mix of foot-tapping, bluesy reels and soul-stirring ballads. This formula really shouldn’t work. The story is preposterous, the final message unbelievably schmaltzy and some of the jokes as old as the American Outback; yet we are ‘shucked’ into loving it (a hasty qualification needed here – some of the one-liners are, in fact, surprisingly audacious and shockingly risqué, and would mercifully go over the heads of the younger members of the audience).

We are introduced to the Midwestern community by way of Storyteller One and Storyteller Two; Monique Ashe-Palmer and Steven Webb respectively – a joyous pair whose comic timing and flair keep the narrative in check with a rancher’s whip-cracking skill. At the heart of the story is Maizy (Sophie McShera) whose wedding vows to Beau (Ben Joyce) are interrupted by the corn crop suddenly and mysteriously dying. An unsolved mystery – which, in fact, is just a mystery – Webb tells us. Maizy dares to venture beyond the county limits in order to find a solution to the crop failure. She winds up in Tampa, an exaggerated, greeting-card-type metropolis where she meets grifter Gordy (Matthew Seadon-Young), a corn doctor (of course). Gordy is in debt to some not-so-gangsterish gangsters, and he sees in Maizy an opportunity to do some good ole shucking and shake off his creditors. Maizy, on the rebound from breaking off with Beau, is lovestruck, and the two of them head back to Cob County. What follows is a messy mix of misdirected romance, deception, and a full-on, heart-on-sleeve parable about the strength of community, family and belonging, and the triumph of good over bad.

To put it simply, the cast is outstanding. McShera’s Maizy has a real sense of the comedy but layers it with a steely tenderness that refuses to suffer fools. And a voice to match. Joyce’s literal-minded Beau is a delight, seeing the world in black and white but colouring it in with splashes of charisma and slapstick empathy. And a voice to match. His side kick and brother, Peanut – played by the terrific Keith Ramsay – has the burden of the corny jokes but he carries them all with an ease, delivering them with a deadpan hilarity. Meanwhile, Maizy’s cousin, the whisky-brewing, sassy Lulu is a tour de force of a performance in the hands of Georgina Onuorah. And a voice to match (have I said that?). In fact, Onuorah’s voice soars above all else. Seadon-Young is slick as oil as the slippery Gordy wishing he was better at being bad, though his performance couldn’t be better if he tried. Director Jack O’Brien brings out the best in all of them, including the ensemble – highlighting Sarah O’Gleby’s inventive choreography which occasionally verges on the acrobatic – and some perilous use of barrels and planks.

The music worms its way into our ears and takes root. At once familiar in its mix of pop, musical theatre, country and some serious balladeering; but unique enough to sound fresh and lyrically holding its own against the onslaught of wordplay in the book. From the rousing opening number ‘Corn’, through the obligatory ballads (mostly given to McShera); Seadon-Young’s bluesy ‘Bad’ and Onuorah’s showstopping ‘Independently Owned’, the numbers are a delight. This isn’t high art, but the spirit (and the corn) is sky high. An elephant’s eye wouldn’t come close. The fun factor is dolloped on as thick as melted butter on crispy corn on the cob. If it’s possible, this musical is tastier even. Sweeter, cheesier and packed with joy. One taste and you’ll be wanting to go back for more.

SHUCKED

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Reviewed on 20th May 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Pamela Raith

Previously reviewed at this venue:

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF | ★★★★★ | August 2024

THE SECRET GARDEN | ★★★ | June 2024

THE ENORMOUS CROCODILE | ★★★★ | May 2024

TWELFTH NIGHT | ★★★★★ | May 2024

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES | ★★★★★ | August 2023

ROBIN HOOD: THE LEGEND. RE-WRITTEN | ★★ | June 2023

ONCE ON THIS ISLAND | ★★★★ | May 2023

LEGALLY BLONDE | ★★★ | May 2022

ROMEO AND JULIET | ★★★★ | June 2021

SHUCKED

★★★★★

“Hytner’s production is a thrilling experience full of surprises”

Guys & Dolls has been playing at the Bridge Theatre since March 2023 in Nicholas Hytner’s reimagined production which turns the 1950s Broadway musical into full-on immersive production. Its final cast change before its announced closure in January sees Gina Beck taking over as Sarah Brown, also joined by Michael Simkins as Arvide Abernathy. They join members of the previous cast include Owain Arthur, Timmika Ramsay and Jonathan Andrew Hume, as Nathan Detroit, Miss Adelaide and Nicely-Nicely Johnson, respectively.

If you’re not familiar with the story beyond the parody in The Simpsons, it follows Nathan Detroit’s illegal floating crap game, which he hides from financée of 14 years Miss Adelaide. When Detroit places a bet with gambler Sky Masterson that he must take a woman of Detroit’s choosing to Havana, Masterson (George Ioannides) has to try and impress leader of the Save-a-Soul mission, Sarah Brown. What follows is two side-by-side relationship stories alongside visits to the Hotbox nightclub where Adelaide performs.

Hytner’s production is a thrilling experience full of surprises. Half the audience are stood on and around Bunny Christie’s set which sees stage pieces rise and fall for scenes to be played on before the action quickly moves somewhere else. The work of the stage management team in this production is a feat in itself, as they usher audiences around the moving set pieces, bringing on street lamps, staircases, and even at one moment managing to catch the underwear thrown offstage by the Hotbox dancers.

Having seen the original cast, the newcomers have a lot to live up to, and they absolutely make this show and the roles their own. Ramsay is electric as Miss Adelaide. With expansive vocals, she tears the stage apart with “A Bushel and a Peck”, in a number which is sexy, playful, and shows off a star performance. She brings great comedy to “Adelaide’s Lament” and the rapport with co-star Arthur is sharp and fiery, particularly in their second act duet “Sue Me”, which plays the line between lust and frustration to perfection.

Gina Beck follows previous leading lady roles, including Glinda in Wicked and, more recently, Maria in Chichester’s production of The Sound of Music last year. She is very held together as Sarah Brown before letting her hair down and spinning around lamp posts in “If I Were a Bell”, thanks to Arlene Phillips and James Cousin’s choreography. Her voice has gorgeous, crystal-clear operatic tones. She plays against Ioannides, who also returns to the show, and their verision of “I’ve Never Been in Love Before” is a total delight. Likewise, Simkins’ rendition of “More I Cannot Wish You”, which he sings to Beck, has a real sense of warmth and wisdom which is very touching.

The best number of the show though is saved for Nicely-Nicely Johnson, and is perhaps the best known number “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat”. Quite hilariously, the number serves very little plot purpose, other than being a distraction so the General doesn’t cotton on to schemes of the crap game players. Cedric Neal received an Olivier Award nomination for originating this role, so again big boots to fill. Hume is fantastic. His Nicely-Nicely is warm, engaging and a little bit cheeky and he looks like he’s having the absolute time of his life performing this number, which in turn lets the audience have a great time as well. The crowd cheer as he encourages the orchestra to give him an encore and the whole room gets involved clapping along.

If you’re going to revive a 70-year-old musical which is, let’s be honest, rather dated in its plot, then this is the way to do it. It never tries to say ‘this is now’ but instead unapologetically transports us to a different time altogether and gives us an evening of thorough entertainment.

Guys & Dolls plays at the Bridge until January so if you haven’t yet made it along to this 5-Star production make sure that you do. There’s nothing else quite like it!

Tag Archives: Jonathan Andrew Hume

SHUCKED

★★★★★

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

SHUCKED

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

★★★★★

“The fun factor is dolloped on as thick as melted butter on crispy corn on the cob”