The Creakers Musical – Review

The Creakers Musical: Queen Elizabeth Hall, London

22nd December 2024

★★★

After the success of The Christmasaurus in 2017, Tom Fletcher has unveiled his new musical based on his best-selling book ‘The Creakers’. The story focuses on Lucy and the other kids of Whiffington who wake up one morning to find all of the adults have vanished. The show follows as they begin to solve the mystery of a lifetime in a topsy-turvy, back-to-front and inside-out new world underneath her bed… the world of the Creakers! As with his previous show, it has been adapted for the stage by Miranda Larson with music and lyrics from Tom Fletcher and choreography by Tom Jackson Greaves.

The cast is led by Eloise Davies who is excellent as Lucy, managing to show Lucy’s shy and timid side along with her determination to help the grown ups. Vocally, this is quite different to other shows Davies has been in and she is able to use her high range to belt out the score by Tom Fletcher. Tom Fletcher is a talented song writer and some of the songs are catchy such as the title song but unfortunately overall they are fairly forgettable and some are very similar, blurring into one.

Ally Kennard and Iona Fraser are fun as Lucy’s new friends and the relationship between Rakesh Boury (Lucy’s Dad) and Davies is believable and heart-warming. Audiences have to wait until the second act to finally see the Creakers themselves but it is worth the wait. The puppets by Lyndie Wright are excellent and controlled brilliantly by the talented cast. They are just the right mix so as not to scare young children but also appear slightly menacing – think The Labyrinth meets the Muppets.

The production starts quite slow and unfortunately some of the lyrics are hard to decipher making newcomers to the story a little bit confused. The colourful characters are slightly over the top but this is perfect for young children. The Creakers definitely brings to life the popular book but does need some work to make it a successful musical in its own right. The first act lacks pace and there are some long transitions but this is much improved in a slicker, more action packed second half.

The set by Andrew Exeter, is clever and transforms from Whiffington to the Woleb (Creaker’s home) in the second act. A lot of the scenery and props are made from recycled materials which is really in keeping with the not so subtle message of the show. Tom Jackson Greaves’ choreography is fun and performed well utilising the large stage. Whilst Lucy’s character as the central protagonist is well developed some of the other characters lack depth and can get lost on the stage amongst all of the action.

Having already impressed audiences in The Theatre Royal, Plymouth, The Creakers Musical is now playing a strictly limited run at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London until the 5th January. Whilst this show won’t necessarily blow you away, it is definitely fun and upbeat with a very clear message. If you are looking for a family friendly, new musical this year instead of a traditional pantomime then this could be a great show for you.

The Creakers Musical runs at the Queen Elizabeth Hall until the 5th January 2025. For information and tickets click here.

Photo Credit: Pamela Raith