“Did you bring protection?” “I’ve got a gun.”
If you’re after a show that oozes depth, complexity, and plot twists that leave you on the edge of your seat, then you might want to keep scrolling. But if you’re ready for naughty giggles (I heard an audience member snort with laughter), then welcome to the Anti-Polio Picnic, as Cry Baby, The Musical might just be the most gloriously trashy and ridiculously brilliant theatre experience you’ll stumble upon this year. It’s ready to strut its stuff right alongside those flashy, high-budget productions taking over the West End, all while being tucked away in the Arcola Theatre in North East London.
Set in Baltimore, USA, 1950s, the show takes on forbidden love and teenage rebellion, satirising the rigid social norms and moral panic of the era which divides the squeaky clean “Squares” and the rebellious “Drapes”, a civil showdown which mirrors the current toxic political circus pervading the so-called “land of the free”.
This utterly insane play was only so brilliant because of its wildly talented cast. I’ve sat through some forgettable West End musicals that target the same audience, but they barely held my attention and got half as many laughs. Let’s be real: soon enough, you’ll see many of these powerhouse performers rocking those big stages—they absolutely deserve that spotlight.
Photography by Charlie Flint.
With direction by Arcola’s own Mehmet Ergen, musical direction and supervision by Ashton Moore, choreography by Chris Whittaker, design by Robert Innes Hopkins, sound design by Matt Giles, light by David Howe, costume by Defne Özdoğan, production manager Jo Palmer, company stage manager Evelin Thomas, assistant stage manager Jasmine Smith, a live band, and I’m sure a whole other list of creatives involved, it really was a whole village that bought this Jukebox Jamboree to life.
While it remains the underachieving sibling of Hairspray, it defiantly makes its mark and is guaranteed to captivate a raucous audience of devoted camp musical lovers.
You can tap your toes and bob your head to Cry-Baby, The Musical at the Arcola Theatre, till 12th April 2025.