It does not take long for Beetlejuice to burst onto the stage, launching into one of many sweary tirades in this large and loud new musical, which brings the cult 80s film into musical form with only some success.
In the 1988 hit, Beetlejuice is seen for less than twenty minutes. Yet, in this musical adaptation, the character is unrelenting in his appearance, swearing and cursing, and taking aim at anyone and everyone, from the audience to even Paddington Bear, who gets a particularly sharp skewering, in an ironic gag, given that the sense of heart and charm in that show is sorely missed here. Despite the film’s 90-minute run time, this version manages to find an extra 70 minutes in a piece that is full of effort but ultimately feels completely overstuffed.
Set in the Maitlands’ home, Beetlejuice (David Fynn) quickly wreaks havoc as he triggers the untimely demises of the homeowners with great glee, while attempting to manipulate teenage Lydia into marrying him and bringing him out of his ghostly existence by saying his name three times.
As the titular ghoul, Fynn completely throws himself into the role with an admirable energy that matches the larger-than-life character. Despite some reworkings, the production very much leans into its American heritage and Broadway style humour, which Fynn pushes through with Alex Timbers’s direction that leaves little to subtlety. Beetlejuice, as a construct, just is not particularly likeable, and part of the film’s charm is that he only appears now and then, rather than more often than not here, despite Fynn’s clear attempts to bring audiences with him.
That is not to say that one would expect deft symbolism and thought changing theatre from Beetlejuice, but it is just caught within a web of repetitive gags and brash humour that stifles the excellent cast. David Hunter and Chelsea Halfpenny are the Maitlands, recently deceased in a tragic accident which never really seems to dawn on the pair. Meanwhile, Hannah Nordberg, who is excellent as Lydia, exhausts the extent of the book’s opportunities for development for her character, still struggling to process the loss of her mother and the emerging relationship between her father and his new love.
Despite the book’s superficiality, where the production unequivocally soars is in its gorgeous design. David Korins’s set is a remarkable feat, with skewed angles and the cartoony gothic design perfectly capturing the essence of the piece. The set feels immediately expansive and lavish in its design, and the musical’s team works tremendously hard to make each set change slick and refined despite its complicated nature. An enormous sandworm is a piece of furniture aptly huge enough for a West End show, which is illuminated to great effect by Kenneth Posner’s lighting choices.
Beetlejuice The Musical certainly pulls in those who are enamoured with the film. Yet, for newer audiences, this repetitive, overbearing, boorish production is a little too tiresome. There is undoubtedly a hard-working cast and creative team pulling together here, but a shaving off of twenty minutes, a reining in of the protagonist, and a little sharpening of the book would really take it out of the purgatory that the characters find themselves stuck in.
