There was a very excitable buzz at the Royal and Derngate for the opening night of Madagascar the Musical, a stage spin-off from the successful 2005 film, which has been touring the world for the past six years. And although we didn’t have any children to bring with us to the show, the enthusiasm and enjoyment of those present was very contagious!

In case you don’t know; four special friends live at New York’s Central Park Zoo – Marty, the zebra, Gloria the hippo, Melman the giraffe, and, star attraction at the zoo, Alex the lion. Marty pines for a lost life in the wilds of Africa, rather than being clamped behind bars in a zoo – not that his other friends are bothered by it at all. However, when the penguins decide to escape to Antarctica, Marty decides he’d like just a day of freedom and so makes a break for Grand Central Station with the intention of visiting Connecticut. When the others follow him, they end up captured and sent on a ship – and when they get off, they’re in Madagascar! Julien, king of the lemurs, allows them to stay at his encampment, but the adventure does not stop there…

From an adult point of view it’s all too easy to pick holes in the story, but I’m sure this is not an issue for the show’s target audience – which I would estimate to be around 4 to 10 years old. And there’s still plenty for everyone to appreciate. Tom Rogers’ vibrant, colourful set gives a good sense of the different locations and allows loads of space for the characters to get some good singing and dancing in. The costumes are also colourful and good fun, and there’s some enjoyable puppetry representing the penguins, the chimp and the lemurs.

The show does highlight a few important messages that you’re never too young to appreciate. I particularly enjoyed the opening, which started with the Born Free theme but then showed Marty being incarcerated in the zoo against his will. And there’s a recurrent theme about how valuable good friendships are, and the importance of trust and loyalty. Even when the starving Alex can’t help but look at Marty as a potential meal, and though Marty is terrified by the danger he knows he is in, he nevertheless continues to be loyal to his best friend. It’s all rather charming really.

The characterisations are very entertaining; Jarnéia Richard-Noel’s Gloria is a fun-loving, boisterous hippo but with a streak of common sense, Joshua Oakes-Rogers’ hypochondriac Melman is obsessed with his health and avoids aspartame, Francisco Gomes’ earnest Marty is honest, decent and loves to party, and Joseph Hewlett’s Alex is the vainest of lions but incredibly friendly and polite; giving Marty an “Alex the Lion” t-shirt on his birthday is just typical of the man. Lion. I mean lion.

And then there’s Karim Zeroual’s hilarious presentation of King Julien, wearing a deft costume that initially denies common sense but allows him to move it move it with the best of them! Which brings us on to the music, an essential element of the fun of the show, together with the excellent dancing and choreography.

I confess I didn’t have much hope for this show, but it exceeded my expectations enormously. We came away with a smile on our faces, a spring in our step, and memories of a few very funny scenes. And, by the sound of the uproarious reception it received at the end, we weren’t the only ones. I know comparisons are odious, but if you compare this show with, say, Shrek the Musical – this one comes up tops for production values, performance and message.

Madagascar the Musical continues at the Royal and Derngate until Sunday, then on to Nottingham, Southend, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Southampton. It’s lots of fun – and the youngsters will love it.

Production photos by Phil Tragen

Four They’re Jolly Good Fellows!