Ride The Cyclone

Ride the Cyclone at Southwark Playhouse arrives with a burst of eccentric charm, a dash of melancholy and a cast who give the songs and words of Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell every ounce of energy the story deserves. This quirky musical already a cult In Canada centres around six Canadian youngsters meeting their fate on a doomed rollercoaster called the Cyclone. It balances whimsy with existential weight and largely succeeds in delivering both. Though not always in equal force.

What consistently lights up the revolving spooky fairground stage is the excellent cast, who navigate the show’s tonal zigzags with impressive commitment. Each performer seizing their characters moment in the spotlight, as the vie to be the one who get the chance to be reborn and cheat their sudden and cataclysmic demise. Their solo numbers, ranging from pop-rock ballads to absurdist operetta are handled with total confidence, impressive voices, and choreography, giving the show its real drive and momentum. Even when the narrative that links these numbers, sags a little, and loses the urgency that a story and style of production such as this.

The production is visually striking, and much of that is down to Tim Deiling’s lighting design. Deserving special mention for creating much of the shows standout moments with a strong narrative that fits perfectly with each song trope.

The musical’s episodic structure and one selected youngsters retribution owes much to the plot of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats and like Cats it is quite obvious which of the tragic six will get that rebirth Which somewhat deflates some of the show’s quirkiness, making it a little too predictable.

Even so, Ride the Cyclone remains and undeniably unique blend of story and high concept song. A production crammed with talent, mood and theatrical flair. For fans of the off-beat it is well worth the white knuckle ride.

Photo Credit: Danny Kaan

Three Stars