View from the Green Room: Super-hero Spongebob saves Bikini Bottom and the world as well
David Hennessy Stage School's production of Sponge Bob at Garter Lane. Photo: Joe Evans
Underestimate this show at your peril. I mean… a musical about a nerdy sponge (Caoimhe Scanlon) who lives in a pineapple under the sea and works as a fry chef in a local chipper in a town called Bikini Bottom? I mean… c’monnn!
And he’s got friends don’t-ye-know-now. Like dreamy Patrick the starfish (Zach Smith) and science geek Sandy Cheeks (Aoife O’Connor) who are all determined to save Bikini Bottom from an impending earthquake with an invention called the “Erupter interrupter”.
Implausible? Well, not really, if you’re a child in a universe of wonder and imagination where we all end up in the zoo of the new and where connections can be made by colours or words or a single note.
When the world is grim, who needs reality?
And yet… and yet… reality intrudes in the shape of man-made environmental destruction where the science is ignored and warning-criers such as Sandy Cheeks derided. Cyber warming is real here and Spongebob has only 24 hours to save Bikini Bottom. But… hey… cometh the hour, cometh the boy-hero.
Throughout the script, clever and subtle allusions to current environmental issues and political demonising of marginalised figures, such as squirrels and mammals, point to current global issues.
Caoimhe Scanlon is outstanding as nerdy Spongebob as she marries every aspect of musical theatre into a superb performance. Caoimhe is a delight as Spongebob’s stringy, bouncy personality and is just everywhere in this show. Not only does she drive the storyline on but her skills as actor, singer, dancer, comic and scene-setter are on show all night.
Don’t get the idea that this is a one-star show because there are outstanding performances all over the stage from a cast of young stars that fills me with hope for the future of musical theatre in Waterford.
Zach Smith’s performance as the somewhat dreamy starfish is his best yet. Aoife O’Connor’s singing is a show highlight, while Holly Coogan gets everything out of the nasty role of Sheldon J. Plankton.
Declan Ryan is an uber cool, melancholic Squidward with four legs who dreams of musical fame, while Caoilán Walsh owns the stage as entrepreneurial opportunist Eugene Krabs, who denies Spongebob promotion in his restaurant. Phoebe Boylan plays a feisty teen whale with issues in a cheerleader costume??? — well… ok, I never did quite figure out how that worked— and, also gets to sing one of the best numbers in the show in “Daddy knows best”.
One of the features of the show is the constant use of the large onstage chorus in the big numbers and the group movement and pictures from Director/Choreographer David Hennessy are clever and well thought out. There’s a very simple but effective set in aquatic blue with a rear-screen grotto video screen feature that is strong on narrative.
The use of roll-on flats – well marshalled by Stage Manager Juckey Collins, allows for smaller, insert scenes that gives pace and energy to the storyline.
Musical Director David Hayes knocks great fun out of a delightful score that has nods to other musical styles from C&W right through to calypso.
The Sardine pop-duo (Ellie Kenny and Anna Rose Murray) and chorus scenes are excellent, while Evan Walsh rocks it as the doomspreader-of-bad-news. The Electric Skates girl pop-band (Chloe Byrne, Sophie Tubritt and Sophia Ryan Toader) are mean gals with a never ending list of demands and Faye Gerrihy is a not-to-be-trusted Mayor of Bikini Bottom.
Ibraham Hussein keeps the show ticking along as the somewhat-detached French Narrator as two security guards (Sophia Ryan Toader and Kitty Dwyer/Leah Barden) chase Patchy the Pirate (Chloe Byrne) who is determined to disrupt the show.
A smashing story of love, friendship and community with my very newest BFF Spongebob from David Hennessy Stage School at Garter Lane.
