05 March 2019

Madagascar The Musical


Review by: Paul Towers, 5/3/19
Madagascar The Musical

A Selladoor Family & Hartshorn-Hook production

Book By Kevin Del Aguila Music & Lyrics by Geoge Noriega & Joel Someillan

Haymarket Theatre , Leicester 5 – 9 March 2019

“loud, bouncy and bright.”

One of every child’s favourite movies to watch on a rainy Saturday morning is the madcap Madagascar, the tale of four animal friends who escape from New York’s Central Park zoo and find themselves in the tropical paradise of Madagascar.
Based on the original Dreamworks animated movie this is the live stage version currently touring nationwide.
The cast is led by 2016 X Factor winner Matt Terry as Alex in a variety of animal costumes as they sing and dance their way to ‘freedom’.
Alex is a lion and as such is the king of the zoo, with an ego to match. His best friend is Marty a slightly camp zebra and along with ballsy hippo Gloria and Melman the neurotic giraffe they break out of the safe zoo for an adventure. Unfortunately they get captured and shipped off the Madagascar.
This is a perfect introduction for young theatre goers, loud, bouncy and bright with a storyline that doesn’t need to be followed too closely and is stuffed full of songs, including the eponymous ‘Move it, move it’. It has the added advantage that the halves are not too long so fidgety children won’t get bored.
Along with the adult skinned actors there are a load of cute puppets, penguins, marmosets and chief villain, King Julien.
I wish I could give the supporting actors their due credit but I wasn’t supplied with a programme or cast list. You will just have to go and see for yourself, and I recommend the show for every child and their adult. They will have a blast!

First published on Western Gazette

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