★★★½

“will warm your heart and bring a genuine smile of delight”

Enter the high-stakes, competitive, life-affirming world of scouting, where we join the competitors preparing for the final of ‘The Scout Games’. The winning of the only ‘gold badge’ (hand stitched by Baden-Powell) is the goal of both the scouts on stage and the audience members (scouts and leaders themselves at this performance) who are game enough to join in a range of hilarious tasks. However, there is a saboteur at large, a disillusioned and ‘poor loser’ Scout from a previous ‘games’, intent on causing mayhem and discrediting the very core reputation of the organisation. Through many trials and catchy numbers too, good triumphs over evil, the power of true friendship wins through and we all learn what is important in life and in the scouting movement: to help other people, make friends and learn new skills.

Gigglemug Theatre worked closely with the Scout Association and has tried here to capture the essence of scouting, from the gaining of social and life skills amongst children who might otherwise feel ‘outsiders’, to the chaotic world of camping, competing for badges (real and, here, imagined, such as the ‘hypnosis’ badge) and learning how to win and lose gracefully.

Sam Cochrane (director) made some memorable decisions (the gold dust sprinkled gold badge, for one). Katie Pritchard as Rosie brought great physicality and comedic timing to her role, with superb vocals from both Eleanor Fransch as Eliza and Emily Kitchingham as Charlotte. Burhan Kathawala charmed as the somewhat vulnerable but ultimately brave Joe. Kemi Clarke led the pace and energetically portrayed scout leader Dylan. Rob Gathercole (also musical director / keyboards) was in his element playing the over-the-top and improbably talented (being skilled in many areas including healing missing limbs) Linus Lionheart, the TV personality and former scout who was the role model for the competing scouts. The cast all played multiple instruments and were on stage almost the whole time. At times, the number of instruments and changes was a distraction to following the narrative and I would have preferred to listen to the vocalist perform without a guitar, for example. However, this does not take away from the recognition of the multiple skill sets required for this audience-engaging performance, with the pace only struggling a little in the second act.

The musical numbers feature an enjoyable range of genres, from 1950s style rock and roll, to rap and pop. Definitely not ‘found a peanut’ singalongs, the music is carefully crafted by David Fallon (music and lyrics) and Sam Cochrane (book, lyrics and direction) with solos, duets, and ensemble multi-part numbers being used to advance the plot and characters as well as to introduce many favourite themes loved by scouts, such as the ‘scout law’. Indeed, the lyrics were so full of information that I did spend some time trying to catch each word and wondering if I needed to remember the facts being dropped in. Perhaps the relative complexity of some of the music and plot was a mismatch for the younger members of the audience, but ‘The Trance Dance’, ‘Bad Badge’ and ‘Home’ were particular favourites.

The set (three drop down banners) was cleverly simple and effective for this touring production, which was needed when the stage is so full of musical instruments – I counted eleven plus a kazoo! Using three ‘tree stumps’ for the awards also gave an interesting stage height difference when needed.

Gigglemug Theatre’s touring production of their latest feelgood musical theatre show, is a fun exploration of the core positive messages of scouting, which will warm your heart and bring a genuine smile of delight, whilst enjoying the frolics of this energetic cast of actor-musicians.

SCISSORHANDZ

Southwark Playhouse Elephant

★★★

“The cast are superb across the board and there is an easy camaraderie that adds to the feelgood factor”

It is a bold statement to tag your show with the subtitle ‘A Musical Reinvented’. But there is nothing faint-hearted about Bradley Bredeweg’s reinterpretation of Tim Burton’s classic and gothic fairytale. Direct from Los Angeles, it bursts onto the London stage as though heading for Wembley Arena, but instead took a wrong turn and landed up in the three-hundred-seater, Southwark venue. Edward Scissorhands, the solemn and doleful outsider, has morphed into a rock legend of their own making – if only for a few fleeting seconds before retreating behind the bank of loudspeakers to await rediscovery.

The tale of an outsider trying to ‘fit in’ is an obvious celebration of being different; yet it is hard to maintain the impact of this message when the whole ensemble are complete weirdos anyway. A delightful bunch, nonetheless. Jordan Kai Burnett’s Scissorhands is slightly pushed into the shadows as a result, eclipsed by the eccentrics that surround them. Emma Williams, as Avon Lady Peg who adopts the waif-like Scissorhands, also adopts the role of protagonist with her wonderfully kooky, mad-as-a-hatter portrayal of the American housewife. Neighbours Joyce (Tricia Adele-Turner), Esmerelda (Annabelle Terry) and Helen (Ryan O’Connor) are as maverick and flamboyant as Abby Clarke’s primary-coloured costume design; while Dionne Gipson’s striking, ethereal ‘Inventor’ holds court from on high.

We are never completely emotionally engaged, but are always sucked into the sheer energy and sense of fun with which the performers are swamping the stage. And even if the song list gratuitously breaks the continuity of the story, the numbers are delivered with a powerful virtuosity. Like many juke-box musicals, the choice is hit and miss – some forming a neat and natural segue from the dialogue, whereas others are as isolated from the plot as Scissorhands is from reality. But, boy, there are some belters in there! Annabelle Terry’s ‘Heaven is a Place on Earth’ is a standout moment, along with Tricia Adele-Turner’s ‘Bleeding Love’ and Dionne Gipson’s ‘Mad World’. Emma Williams majestically reinvents ‘Creep’ (even though we really feel the song belongs to Scissorhands), and throughout the show, the wall of sound created by musical director Arlene McNaught’s five-piece band threaten to bring the roof down.

It is quite the spectacle, but the nuances of Burton’s original are lost in the mix, just as the quirkiness is occasionally obscured by an earnestness that is shoe-horned in. Rather than reinvented, the musical is relabelled – somewhat superficially like a ‘new-and-improved’, ‘special-offer’ packaging. Overtly establishing in a throwaway line of dialogue the correct pronoun for the lead character merely scratches the surface of the essential issue, while we either want it to dig deeper, or else take it as a given (as it should be).

There is a fair amount of disarray, but we cannot mistake the sheer joyfulness of it. The cast are superb across the board and there is an easy camaraderie that adds to the feelgood factor. The audience feel part of it all, especially when the fourth wall breaks down and boundaries are overstepped. Improvised ad-libs are let loose, often as sharp as the blades of Scissorhands’ make-shift fingers.

“Scissorhandz” is a fun-loving, camp, boisterous show bursting to crash through the walls of its chosen venue. But like Scissorhands themself, is a bit of a chimera – not quite fully formed. Yet there is something special in there, and it is an extraordinary piece of musical theatre. Its message implores us to seek that ‘special something’ within ourselves. Applied to itself, this show could well be onto a winning path to completion.

SCOUTS!

Hope Mill Theatre

★★★½

“will warm your heart and bring a genuine smile of delight”

SCOUTS!

Hope Mill Theatre the UK Tour continues

Reviewed on 14th June 2025

by Lucy Williams

Photography by Benkin Photography

Previously reviewed by Lucy:

SCOUTS!

SCOUTS!

SCOUTS!

SCISSORHANDZ

Southwark Playhouse Elephant

★★★

“The cast are superb across the board and there is an easy camaraderie that adds to the feelgood factor”

SCISSORHANDZ

Southwark Playhouse Elephant

Reviewed on 30th January 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Danny Kaan

Previously reviewed at Southwark Playhouse venues:

SCISSORHANDZ

SCISSORHANDZ

SCISSORHANDZ

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