The Baddies – Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh and Touring

Dyfrig Morris, Rachel Bird and James Stirling in Baddies at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield. Picture: Jess Shurte

The Baddies was reviewed at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh where it continues until 20 October 2024. The tour continues until 12 June 2025.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

Julia Donaldson’s books for children are held dear by youngsters everywhere. Freckle Productions has a long, successful relationship with Donaldson’s work with hit shows featuring the likes of Stick Man and Zog. The Baddies is a rather recent book, but already a firm favourite.

Brought to bright, colourful life onstage, Joe Stilgoe has created a wonderful score packed with his trademark catchy songs and witty rhyming (one of the best: ‘hankie’ with ‘Killiecrankie’) that fairly bounce along in this great fun story. David Greig and Jackie Crichton have clearly had joy in adapting the book into dialogue and playing around with these characters.  The plot remains crystal clear with all the fun intact.

The show is narrated by Mamma Mouse (Lottie Mae O’Kill) who has a great rapport with the children and embodies a ‘Mary Poppins’ style of delivery, matched with a song the Sherman Brothers themselves could have written. It’s a lovely, gentle beginning that draws the audience into the story.

In her tree-stump home, with her three comical mice children, the details of costumes and setting are wonderful as a song about manners, ‘Sorry, Thank You, Please’ becomes ‘Porridge, Hanky, Cheese’ with the audience in fits of laughter.

The three actors playing the mice children next become The Baddies themselves: Witch (Rachel Bird), Ghost (James Stirling) and Troll (Dyfrig Morris). Every performance is delivered with the greatest pleasure and wonderful engagement with the audience. The arrival of a new girl who has come to live in the forest and be a shepherdess sends them into a frenzy of wickedness as they each in turn make their play to steal from the girl. Yuki Sutton plays the girl completely straight and with a fair amount of charm.

Directed by Katie Beard, the show fairly romps along peppered with rather good songs and strong performances from every cast member. The staging is terrific and relates well to Axel Scheffler’s illustrations in the book. Scene changes are all managed beautifully with a few surprising wee tricks from Jasmine Swan’s wonderful design as the stage moves.

Billed as suitable for three years plus is about right – with plus being all the way through adulthood! This show will be giving many children their first taste of theatre and does so very well indeed. The audiences of the future will have high expectations after this experience. Those lucky enough to see it have a great treat in store.

Fiona Orr