Seussical The Musical

Review: Seussical the Musical by The Young Performers

The Young Performers have returned to the Duchess Theatre this week with their latest production of Seussical the Musical. A colourful, imaginative show that offers plenty of energy from its young cast and crew.

The front-of-house team set the tone well, welcoming audiences with a themed foyer display and photo backdrop inspired by the world of Dr. Seuss, a thoughtful and inviting touch.

Roydon Charlesworth’s set design was outstanding. His creativity and attention to detail brought the world of Dr. Seuss vividly to life. One particularly clever touch was the painted stage floor, inspired by the Cat in the Hat’s iconic stripes, a great detail that immediately drew the audience into the story. The set overall was imaginative and colourful enough to capture the eye, yet never distracted from the action on stage. Props by Fiona McDowell were also great, I particularly loved the pill berry bush.

Costumes by Sarah Charlesworth were colourful and well thought out, particular highlights included all the eye-catching birds, the mischievous Wickersham Brothers and the Mayor’s family. Each character’s costume helped bring their characters to life.

Finn Boswell had strong stage presence as the Cat in the Hat, keeping the show moving smoothly with confidence and style. Lewis McDowall gave a standout performance as Horton. Having seen him in many previous Young Performers productions, it was clear how much he has grown in confidence. This role showcased both his stage presence and his beautiful singing voice, one we’ll hopefully hear much more of in the future.

The role of JoJo is double cast. In the performance I attended Livvy Read took on the role and delivered a confident performance, demonstrating a clear understanding of the character's imagination. I especially enjoyed the number “It’s Possible,” which shows JoJo’s hopeful spirit. Amelia Forecast shares the role in alternate shows, bringing her own interpretation to the character JoJo.

Neve Johnson absolutely smashed it as Mayzie La Bird. She gave an impressive performance full of sass and character, perfectly capturing Mayzie’s attitude. The fabulous costume complemented her portrayal, making the character truly come to life with a great rendition of "Amayzing Mayzie".

Ella Charlesworth as Gurtrude delivered a fantastic vocal performance throughout the show. I particularly enjoyed her duet with Horton “Notice Me, Horton”, which was one of the show’s softer, more sincere moments, beautifully sung by both performers with lovely harmonies. 

Heidi Parsons brought energy and power to the Sour Kangaroo with a bold vocal performance and confident stage presence. Jamie Higgins and Millie Weston played Mr and Mrs Mayor well, confidently leading the Who’s.

The Bird Girls - Evie Perks, Lucy Coulson-Jones, Isabella Frampton, Remy-Mae Read, and Sophie Longcroft provided great support vocally in several of the musical numbers. They also added colour from their fabulous costumes and all executed the choreography well. Fin Tomlinson, Alex Povey and Daniel Swan brought energy and mischief as the Wickersham Brothers, monkeying around on stage.

Will Mellor played General Schmitz well and, AJ Chamberlain as Yertle the Turtle brought order to the courtroom. Dillan Brookes played the Grinch well, another fabulous costume. Elijah Green as the Elephant Bird added a nice touch at the end that the audience loved. 

The Who’s and Jungle Animals were played by Carly Gaunt, Emily Wilkins, Clarissa Armitage, Emily-Mae Taylor, Emmie Simmons, Jess Henshaw, Keeley Rickerby, Olivia Monk, and Violet Graney who all had their moment to shine on stage.

The Young Performers are passionate about providing opportunities in all aspects of theatre craft. The Young Techies were launched in 2023 and have gone from strength to strength, supporting not only the Young Performers productions but also other shows at the Duchess Theatre. They are a talented and dedicated group who have fully managed the show this week under supervision from the technical team. Huge congratulations to this amazing team for doing such a wonderful job Eva O'Riordan, Gizel Chaparova, Lewis Cuthbert, Maddie Taft and Olivia Michaud. The lighting was skilfully managed by Dave Martin.

Producer Zak Charlesworth and Director Vicky Byrne kept the show moving at a good pace, Lottie Ludlow’s choreography added energy and fun to the numbers and musical support was provided by Ben Ward.

The cast’s enjoyment was clear throughout the show, the audience had a great evening and responded with much enthusiasm. It is so encouraging to see young people embracing all aspects of theatre, from performance to technical roles. Huge congratulations to everyone involved, we look forward to the next Young Performers show. 

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