Babies – Lyric Theatre

Babies was performed at the Lyric Theatre, London.

A group of high school children are given sophisticated baby simulator dolls to look after. The idea seems to be to make them aware of the difficulties involved in being a parent, as a potential persuasion against teen pregnancy. In the process, the students grapple with some deep-seated feelings – for themselves, each other and for their own parents.

That’s the premise for Babies, a musical by Jack Godfrey and Martha Geelan. The winner of British Youth Music Theatre’s 2021 New Music Theatre Award, the musical has been further workshopped and developed since, with a semi-staged concert version hitting the West End’s Lyric Theatre last weekend.

With the cast of nine all playing characters of school age, adults are only referred to rather than seen on stage. This provides a youthful zest to the show which is also reflected in the audience. Although many attendees may have been peer groups of the actors or have come to know the show through BYMT, there was no denying the connection to the material.

Godfrey’s pop-rock music and lyrics contribute to that appeal, although older audience members will recognise some of the influences also. While ‘Baby Baby Baby’ is the show’s most hummable number – influenced by just how many times it is reprised throughout – the boyband-esque ‘Hot Dad’ has the potential to eclipse it as Godfrey’s best number.

Geelan’s book balances humour – milked for all its worth by the talented cast, especially Morgan Phillips as the confidently camp Toby and Lucy Carter, whose Lulu is desperate to fit in with the cool kids – with some meaty storylines that sometimes compete with each other for attention. 

Shakira Riddell-Morales’ Leah faces uphill challenges with her estranged mother, and although that part of the narrative is threaded throughout, it sometimes feels as if it’s independent of the rest of the cast’s stories.

As the show continues to develop, it will be interesting to see how the book solidifies to give all nine characters their own strong character and believable interplay. Right now, the character of Jacob (played by Jacob Dachtler) feels the least defined of the nine, supporting other characters’ arcs without feeling like his own is coherent enough.

But that is what workshops and in-progress concerts like this weekend’s are for, to look at a work in progress and see what work needs to be done. Like the plastic simulator babies in the show, Babies’ connect outing is a test of resiliency, resourcefulness and responsibility. And while there’s more work to do, Godfrey and Geelan are certainly achieving a passing grade so far.

Scott Matthewman