31 May 2024
If you’re craving a delightfully exciting blend of retro charm and laugh-out-loud comedy, look no further than ‘Fun at the Beach Romp-Bomp-A-Lomp!!’ which is currently dazzling audiences at Southwark Playhouse (Borough). Directed by Mark Bell, the genius behind ‘The Play That Goes Wrong,’ this brand-new musical offers a riotous escape to a sun-soaked beach brimming with beach competitions, vibrant characters, and musical nostalgia.The story unfolds on a picturesque sunny, summers day during the famed ‘Beach Romp-Bomp-A-Lomp’ competition, where participants vie for the prestigious titles of King “or” Queen of the Beach. As expected, romance and rivalry intermingle amid a series of increasingly absurd and entertaining challenges. The show cleverly satirizes the conventional jukebox musical, infusing it with a darkly comedic twist reminiscent of ‘Squid Game.’ The resulting concoction is as entertaining as it is unpredictable.
Emily Bestow’s set design is simple, but a visual treat, transforming the intimate Southwark Playhouse into a retro beach paradise. The backdrop, awash with bright colors and nostalgic motifs, perfectly complements the energetic performances. The costumes, also by Bestow are bursting with sass and flair, amplify the show’s playful spirit, while the dynamic choreography leaves the audience in awe of the cast’s versatility.
Brandon Lambert’s musical composition is nothing short of brilliant. The score, inspired by iconic 20th-century hits, strike a perfect balance between parody and homage. The clever, witty lyrics gradually peel back the layers of seemingly shallow characters, revealing their deeper emotions and motivations. The standout number, ‘Taking the Mickey,’ humorously nods to Aretha Franklin’s ‘Respect’ and exemplifies the show’s knack for blending comedy with heartfelt moments.The humour in ‘Fun at the Beach Romp-Bomp-A-Lomp!!’ is akin to classic American movies like ‘Grease,’ ‘American Pie,’ and ‘Dirty Dancing.’ It blends the nostalgic charm of the ’50s with the irreverent and often outrageous humour of the late ’90s and early 00s, creating a unique comedic experience that appeals to a wide range of audiences.
The cast is a powerhouse of talent, delivering stellar performances in both singing and comedy. Janice Landry shines as the endearingly naïve Chastity, while Jack Whittle exudes charisma as the laid-back Dude. Tom Babbage’s portrayal of the nerdy Joe is delightful, especially as he falls for Ellie Clayton’s Mary-Joe, who evolves from a shy wallflower to a confident, vocal powerhouse. Katie Oxman commands the stage as Chickie, the ambitious matriarch, with Damien James providing a smooth, and charming counterpoint as Dickie. Bradley Adams and Dixie Newman add an extra dose of energy and fun, punctuating the musical numbers with their spirited entrances and exits.
‘Fun at the Beach Romp-Bomp-A-Lomp!!’ pacing is impeccable, masterfully balancing character development with the excitement of the competition. The engaging music and charismatic performances keep the audience invested and entertained from the first scene to the grand finale. One of it’s most charming aspects is its self-awareness. It embraces and exaggerates the clichés of traditional musicals, creating a familiarity that’s both endearing and humorous. It maintains a wonderful sense of humour throughout. The jokes and gags, including some delightfully quirky bird noises, add layers of hilarity that keep the audience engaged and laughing from start to finish. The show’s descent into absurdity is thoroughly enjoyable, offering an entertaining escape from the mundane. Highly recommended!!
‘Fun at the Beach Romp-Bomp-A-Lomp!!’ runs Southwark Playhouse (Borough) until 22nd June 2024 Tickets are available at: https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/fun-at-the-beach-romp-bomp-a-lomp
Reviewer: Alan Stuart Malin
Reviewed: 30th May 2024
North West End UK Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"★★★★★ A triumph! 'Fun at the Beach Romp-Bomp-A-Lomp!!' is a joyous, witty, and clever dark comedy musical. The ensemble cast delivers infectious songs with vibrant energy. A must-see celebration of fun and sun!” Theatre Audience Podcast
by Admin on Monday, 3 June, 2024 in Onstage, Review
The company of Fun at the Beach Romp-Bomp-a-Lomp!! at Southwark Playhouse Borough, London. Picture: Danny Kaan
Fun at the Beach Romp-Bomp-a-Lomp!! continues at Southwark Playhouse Borough, London until 22 June 2024.
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
It’s a genre that’s been out of vogue for some 60 years or more, but there’s something about American teen beach movies that makes them persist in the collective consciousness.
That may be down, in part, to how references to them persist in retro works that have come after. Grease comes to mind, and how it both satirised and celebrated the sickly sweetness – with Rizzo explicitly comparing the innocent Sandy to Sandra Dee, one of the stars of the genre.
There have been other attempts to satirise the genre – Disney Channel followed up its High School Musical franchise with the inexplicably fun Teen Beach Movie, in which a modern couple of teenagers are swept up by a freak storm and land inside an all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza full of surfer dudes and biker chicks.
The latest entry into the parodic tribute to beach movies is Fun at the Beach Romp-Bomp-a-Lomp!!, a new musical with music and lyrics by Brandon Lambert and a book by Martin Landry. It shares a lot of DNA with Disney’s approach to the genre, poking fun at the genre’s tropes while also introducing its own zany band of comedy silliness to propel the narrative.
But that is where the similarities end, for Fun at the Beach…’s spin on the comedy aspect is darker, while remaining suitably silly. The Beach Romp-Bomp-a-Lomp is a competition to find the King or Queen of the Beach, but what starts out as a simple dance competition becomes gradually more brutal, with man-eating sharks and electrified beach balls among the obstacles that ensure the winner is the only one left alive.
This zanily macabre plot, much as it is, is really just the vehicle for a multitude of songs that parody some classic pop hits. So thinly veiled as to be translucent at times, Lambert’s songs quickly establish the mood such that as each new number starts, the audience revels in identifying which song is being pilloried. The Beach Boys’ ‘Surfin’ U.S.A.’ becomes ‘Surf America’; Aretha Franklin’s ‘R-E-S-P-E-C-T’ becomes ‘A-P-P-R-E-C-I-A-T-I-O-N’; the Penguins’ ‘Earth Angel’ is tweaked to become ‘Beach Angel’, and so on.
Perhaps the finest of these parodies is a send-up of Merry Clayton’s ‘It’s In His Kiss’, later made famous as ‘The Shoop Shoop Song’ when covered by Cher. In Lambert’s version, the even more chaste ‘It’s In His Peck’, Katie Oxman’s lead vocalist takes increasing umbrage as the backing singers’ questioning continues to ignore the answer given in the show’s title.
That’s the level at which Fun at the Beach… works best, and there are plenty such moments to enjoy. On occasion, some of the jokes in the song parodies stay a little too long, and a verse or chorus trimmed here or there might help.
Similarly, much of Landry’s book relies upon repetition, albeit to the point of absurdity and beyond. As the stereotypical good-looking-but-insanely-dumb romantic leads, Janice Landry’s Chastity and Jack Whittle’s Dude find themselves locked in a cycle of putting oneself down while complimenting the other, their dialogue seemingly stuck on an endless cycle that becomes annoying, then infuriating, then hilarious as it continues.
Slick direction from Mark Bell includes several visual gags that make full use of Emily Bestow’s fun set design. Coupled with performances that consistently engage – especially from Ellie Clayton, whose Mary Joe is one of the few characters who gets to show a completely different side to their persona away from their initial cookie-cutter stereotype – there is a whole lot of fun to be had.
There is a break from the relentless lampoonery right at the end, as the sole survivor breaks out into ‘There’s No Song’, the musical’s one true “original”, non-parodic number. It ends up being the sort of breath from parody that one sometimes wishes the preceding 80 minutes could have taken more often, but it does ensure that the lasting impression is of something more than an extended comedy skit.
And in essence, an extended sketch is what this show really is. But when the hit rate for the jokes are this high, and the quality of the song parodies remain consistent, it’s a simple joke structure that keeps on giving. From its New York workshop origins to this world premiere full production, there is a whole lot of fun in Fun at the Beach Romp-Bomp-a-Lomp!!
https://musicaltheatrereview.com/fun-at-the-beach-romp-bomp-a-lomp-southwark-playhouse-borough/
