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Madagascar the Musical

Malvern Theatres

****

For a crack-a-lackin’ musical adventure, join the dastardly penguins in Malvern this week, as the New York zoo animals dance their way to freedom with the hilarious party animal King Julien Xlll of Madagascar. You won’t be able to stop moving!

I was lucky enough to catch X-Factor winner Matt Terry as Alex the Lion in Madagascar the Musical at the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham last summer, but at Malvern, Brandon Gale roared just as loudly in the jungle, with all the flossing action needed to leap into the King’s paws.

Brandon Gale as Alex certainly puts on an energetic tail wiggling performance as king of the urban jungle and hits all the high notes with his best friend Marty the zebra, played by Darren John.

For those of you who haven’t seen the 2005 Dreamworks film, then you don’t know what you’re missing, but this performance stands firming on its own two paws, so familiarity with the film is hardly a requirement.

The comedic tale begins at New York’s Central Park Zoo where Alex the Lion and his best friends Marty the Zebra, Melman the hypochondriac giraffe and Gloria the bottom shaking hippo, have spent their whole lives being fed and admired.

Marty enjoys his 10th birthday celebrations then, with some encouragement from some adventure hungry penguins, decides to escape the zoo and explore the world, that is after putting a rectal thermometer in his mouth.

So after a chase through New York City the zoo keepers track down the escapees and ship them all off in crates to a different zoo before the Penguins hijack the boat and they all end up in Madagascar where King Julien Xlll resides the throne.

This fabulously crazy adventure directed by award winning Kirk Jameson with choreography from Fabian Aloise really explodes into life in the second act where the performance of Move It, Move It gets everyone jiggling in their seats. King Julien, played by Jo Parsons is also the resident director and you can’t help but laugh at his waddling and gagging, a real favourite of the show.

Melman (Jamie Lee-Morgan) helps Gloria (Timmika Ramsay) rescue Marty from having his bottom eaten by Alex as hunger gets the better of him and the remarkable penguins ditch the Antarctica for warmer climates.

Madagascar the Musical is definitely lots of fun, and definitely worth a second and third viewing, with an uplifting score and highly energetic performances by all puppets and humans. Don’t believe all the stereotypes about monkeys smelling but if you try and film the performance you will have poo flung in your general direction so be warned.

Suitable for all the family so shake those hips and Move it Move it! Alex prowls along with his fellow zoo companions until Saturday April 6 before heading over the Inverness, so make sure you pounce now and grab some tickets.

Malvern Theatres Box Office - 01684 892277 or visit malvern-theatres.co.uk

Emma Trimble

Alex and the wisecracking penguins will be escaping again  at Wolverhampton Grand from 7-11 May.

02-04-19

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