A SMASH hit film brought to life with spectacular costumes, a stunning set and an unforgettable soundtrack sounds like a recipe for success.
And ‘Madagascar – The Musical’ at Oxford’s New Theatre didn’t disappoint.
The story, based on the 2005 animated DreamWorks film, follows a bunch of naïve zoo animals making their escape from New York’s Central Park Zoo.
Marty the zebra sparks the whole trip when he starts dreaming of open spaces, sunsets and fresh air.
He’s joined by the slightly-less convinced lion Alex, Melman the giraffe and Gloria the hippo.
After a hair-raising attempt at a trip on the city’s subway, the friends find themselves on an unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien’s Madagascar, helped by a bunch of plotting penguin puppets.
The first act set the scene, but the show really picked up pace in the second half, with the entrance of CBBC TV presenter and Strictly finalist Karim Zeroual as lemur King Julien.
A show-stopping performance of the iconic song ‘I Like To Move It’ was predictably a key highlight.
Performing entirely on his knees, Zeroual brought some real charisma to the role of King Julien and the suitably tropical set helped transport the audience to his madcap Madagascan world. While I hoped he had strong knee pads, my children really did think he was just three feet tall.
It’s a wacky adventure for all the family, with fantastic songs, (Gloria’s voice was particularly superb), great dancing and brilliant puppets.
While there’s probably some deeper lesson in the script about nature versus nurture, the show doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that’s how it should be.
The reprise of ‘I Like To Move It’ at the end had the audience on its feet clapping and cheering. And probably, like me, unable to get it out of their heads for the rest of the evening.
The show is on until Sunday 21st Apr – For more information and tickets view https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/madagascar-the-musical/new-theatre-oxford/
What is the plot of Madagascar?
Madagascar is an animated film that follows the story of four zoo animals – Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe, and Gloria the hippo – who are unexpectedly shipped from their home in New York City to the island of Madagascar. The film focuses on their adventures as they try to survive in the wild, encounter new animal friends, and learn more about themselves along the way. The film explores themes of friendship, survival, and the importance of embracing one’s true nature.
