Seussical

Seussical

Music by Stephen Flaherty and Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens

Performed by Tiverton Junior Operatic Club

At The New Hall, Tiverton on 20th February 2026

Directed by Dan Kilshaw

Musical Director Lydia Fitton

Choreographer Emily Cargill

This production of Seussical the Musical by Tiverton Junior Operatic Club brought the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss vividly to life, powered by enthusiasm, creativity, and a clear sense of joy. With a magnificent creative colourful set which complimented the costumes perfectly this was certainly one of the very best productions I have had the pleasure to review for TJOC. 

An orchestra of eleven musicians, positioned off stage left, expertly played the overture under the baton of Lydia Fitton who was also on keyboard, as we see The Hat belonging to The Cat spotted centre stage.

From the opening number Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! the cast established a lively, engaging atmosphere that carried throughout the show. This production thrived on the strength of its ensemble and the quality of its principal performers; all were well cast in each role.

The central performances provided a strong emotional backbone. Jo Jo, is played by a young actor with strong stage presence, clear diction, and a lovely singing voice as she ‘thinks’ her way through the show. The actor who portrayed The Cat in the Hat, a pivotal role and very much the narrator of the story, was exceptional throughout with first rate acting and singing abilities. This actor brought charisma and playful mischief to the role, confidently guiding the audience through the narrative.

Horton the Elephant, portrayed with sincerity and warmth by this actor, grounded the story’s more chaotic moments. This role, often challenging even for experienced performers, was expertly handled here with notable confidence by an actor who clearly relished the part. Horton’s duet with Jo Jo Alone in the Universe was sang with such emotion and beautifully performed by them both. 

The Who’s Mr and Mrs Mayor worked naturally together and their voices blended well. The Sour Kangaroo, the baddy, was wonderfully sarcastic with attitude as she should be along with the Wickersham Brothers who relished their naughtiness.  The one Feather Tail of Miss Getrude McFuzz performed exceptionally well by the actor playing Getrude along with her love rival for Horton’s affection, Mayzie whose duet of How Lucky You Are with The Cat in the Hat was just lovely. There were great moments from supporting performers such as General Ghengis Kahn Schmitz and his ‘army’ and Vlad Vladikoff and the members of Circus MCGurkus.

All of the group numbers were performed with impressive energy and commitment, and while some solo vocals can vary in confidence the standard of TJOC’s ensemble was utterly commendable. The choreography and movement in each scene flowed well. Four ensemble dancers using silk to create the movement of the waves during It’s Possible was creative as was the Wickersham Brothers in Monkey Around.

Visually, the production captured the spirit of Seuss with flair. Costumes were bright, inventive, and full of personality, helping to define characters and create a vibrant stage picture. The Who’s dressed in 70s gear, Gertrude’s tail, glitter costumes with feather boas, Horton’s brown dungarees and fluffy hat and the turtle costume. Every character on stage was dressed correctly for their character.

The staging and set design were simple but effective. The framed proscenium painted in red and white stripes. The stunning tall trees situated at the rear of stage left and right, designed and created by the company, looked professionally made. Palm trees on the raised terrace stage right and the nest stage left. The raised terraces on stage gave differing perspectives. A painted floor in various colours and the steps to the stage painted as Seuss’ book ends with names of the songs in the production. So colourful and vibrant. Positioning the entrance to Who-ville off stage right was clever to make the actors appear smaller than those on stage with the clover.  This set design allowed smooth transitions, keeping the focus on the performers and storytelling. Great stage props such as the curly keyed piano and the 2D standing bath worked well as did the 2D small helicopter flown across the stage on a rope as The Cat in the Hat gives an outside broadcast.

The lighting was pretty much perfect and worked well with a rig set up at the rear of the stage used to great effect to light the cyclorama with differing colours according to the scene. Spot lights were also added to pick out the Who’s and those on stage. The sound operators worked hard with so many on stage and personal mics to deal with and perfected the levels with the orchestra. They always say if you don’t notice the orchestra then the sound is right; this does not mean I did not notice those exceptional musicians!

What made this production stand out was its heart. Tiverton Junior Operatic Club clearly foster a supportive and energetic environment, and that sense of teamwork shone through in every scene. The result was a joyful, engaging performance that captured both the imagination and the message of Seussical: that even the smallest voices can make a big difference.  This was a wonderful production from a talented cast of young people with the backing of an innovative production team and certainly one of the best youth productions I have seen this year. My warmest congratulations to you all and thank you, as always, for the very special welcome we always receive from TJOC.

Lyn Burgoyne   Noda Representative South West District 5 (Mid and East Devon)

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.