Picture: Matt Crockett
Babies The Musical continues at The Other Palace, London until 14 July 2024.
Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩
After winning the BYMT New Music Theatre Award, a run at Ipswich’s New Wolsey Theatre, an appearance at West End Live and sold-out concerts at the Lyric Theatre last year, Babies is a highly anticipated new musical.
Babies The Musical brings a refreshing burst of energy and fun to the stage, following the lives of nine Year 11 students assigned fake babies for a school project after a rise in pregnancies in the year below. This high-octane production accurately portrays the chaos and charm of modern teenage life as they navigate their new responsibility of being a parent to a plastic doll, their future and who they are as people.
It is fantastic to see a cast filled with recent graduates and these performers are truly ones to watch; they bring liveliness, passion and complexity to their characters and it is clear that each actor gives their all.
This show thrives on its comedic elements and awkward teenage vibes, reminiscent of TV shows like Sex Education and Heartstopper, perfect for a Gen Z audience. The book by Martha Geelan (who also directs) is hysterical and rather cheesy, but this organised chaos works.
The characters lean into cliché high school stereotypes – Becky (Grace Towning), a popular influencer in her ‘mum era’, and her boyfriend Ben (Max Mulranen) who has no other personality other than being her boyfriend, both take their new jobs very seriously with all the ’kit’. Leah (Zoë Athena) is a rebellious and secretive teen whose first act as a new parent is to throw her baby in a locker, but soon she surprises everyone. Her best friend Grace (Viola Maisey) is an over-sharer and aspiring dancer.
Also in the group is Alex (Ashley Goh), who discovers he is now super-hot by becoming a teen dad. Jasmin (Lauren Conroy) is a tiresome over-achiever while Lulu (Lucy Carter) is a people-pleaser desperate for friends; a particularly funny moment involves her asking for her front door back, saying it is “not bothering me as I think it’s very funny, but my parents need it!”
Finally, Toby (Heartstopper’s Bradley Riches) dresses his doll in high fashion and is paired with mysterious Jacob (Nathan Johnston) in a blossoming new relationship. With such a range of characters, there is a representative for everyone and the dynamics within the group are fascinating to watch. Despite there being so much to explore, I found the focus on only a few characters rather disappointing and a little repetitive.
The pop-rock style of Jack Godfrey’s score perfectly complements the teen angst, offering a range of group numbers and solo ballads, some are very emotional, while others are hilarious group numbers (arguably my favourite scenes). ‘Baby Baby Baby’ stands out as an infectiously catchy anthem throughout and encapsulates the energetic style of the show. Another standout song is ‘Without Saying Goodbye’ where Leah reveals the truth behind the relationship with her mother, performed with raw emotion, truth and exceptional vocals by Athena – I can definitely see this song becoming a classic.
The group numbers are truly exhilarating as the voices of the cast soar above the audience and ‘Never Learn’ brings home the adult-teenage divide. Some of the songs do rather merge into one another and feel a little disjointed with the melody not quite matching the lyrics.
The set design by Jasmine Swan is innovative and assists the storytelling, utilising tables, levels and LED strips to create dynamic spaces. The sky backdrop emphasises the students’ bubble existence – dreaming of their future lives outside. Even within the confinements of a school uniform, the costumes capture the yearnings of teenagers desperate for self-expression. Alexzandra Sarmiento’s choreography is fast, simple and slick, showcasing all that adolescent energy!
A fun new British school musical that will definitely become a fan favourite.
Marina Holmes
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