Bedknobs and Broomsticks The Musical: A Review
“When the three orphaned Rawlins children are reluctantly evacuated from wartime London to live with the mysterious Eglantine Price, they have no idea what adventures lie ahead. Upon discovering Eglantine to be a trainee witch, they join forces to search for a secret spell that will defeat the enemy once and for all.”
On Wednesday 3rd February, we were lucky enough to be invited to watch the UK tour of Bedknobs and Broomsticks at the Wales Millennium centre.
This story has a special place in my heart, having watched the film so many times when I was younger, so I was apprehensive to see how they would bring this to life on stage. And they did not disappoint.
From the very start, the audience is thrown into wartime London, following the terrified Rawlins children as they’re pushed about in the chaos of evacuation. Through the misty staging and ever-moving set, you felt the children’s fear as they made their way to their new home.
This show never lets up, it keeps you laughing and tapping along with some incredible songs, from the whimsical, toe-tapping numbers that we all know and love such as, ‘The Beautiful Briny’ and ‘Portobello Road’. And songs that play tug at your heartstrings like, ‘Age of not Believing’ and ‘Nobody’s Problem’. We are treated to a wonderful soundtrack from start to finish, with a mixture of the original songs by the infamous Sherman Brothers and new music and lyrics by Neil Bartram. So whether you’ve seen the film a thousand times or never before, there’s new treats for everyone.
I couldn’t write this without mentioning the sheer wonder of the tech in this show. The set was one of the first things I noticed. It’s phenomenal design and how it perfectly threw the audience into the story and only added to the magic of the show. From dancing shoes to the flying bed, even the adults in the audience where left wondering how they did it. And the costumes were memorising, I especially loved the design of ‘Portobello Road’. The dynamics of the staging and constantly moving set pieces, lends itself to the risk of becoming cluttered or appear too busy but this production was seamless and a solute to the magic of theatre.
Every cast member in this show was wonderful, but special mentions have to go to the actors playing Carrie, Paul and Charlie (played by Conor O’Hara). Their incredible performance and they typical sibling dynamic made you fall in love with these characters even more. For the actors playing Carrie and Paul, it’s a big role to play for such a young age and they were a wonder to watch.
Dianne Pilkington, who plays the beloved Miss Eglantine Price and Charles Brunton who plays Emelius Browne, gave an enchanting performance, giving a new life to these well-known characters. Dianne Pilkington was an amazing Miss Price, showing off her incredible talent with the range of powerful and heartfelt songs.
This show is a wonder to watch for all ages, it was so wonderful to see so many children (and adults) in the audience, laughing along and getting enthralled with the magic of it all. This show is just what we needed after these difficult couple of years and reminds you why you missed theatre so much.
Bedknobs and Broomsticks will be in the Wales Millennium Centre until 5th February, before continuing on their tour. Tickets are still available are make sure you head over to their website now, so you don’t miss out!
Photo Credits to Johan Persson
For more information and tickets, head over to the Wales Millennium Centre website and the official Bedknobs and Broomsticks website.
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