Newark Advertiser review of Madagascar - The Musical, at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal

With big songs and bigger laughs this is a show that is fun for the whole family.

Based on the blockbuster DreamWorks animated film, Madagascar - The Musical is now showing at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal until this Saturday (August 27).

We follow four friends — Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe and Gloria the hippo — who are the main attraction at New York’s Central Park Zoo.

When they escape from their pampered life of luxury at the zoo, a hilarious and unexpected journey finds them stranded in wild world of Madagascar.

With a break neck pace the action never stopped, and we meet a colourful cast of characters, including the laugh out loud absurdity of King Julien and the lemurs.

The songs were catchy and filled with energy, the sets and costumes are bright and colourful, and the puppetry of the jungle creatures is incredibly impressive.

For people like me who were the prime age to enjoy the original film when it hit cinemas back in 2005, it was a genuine delight to see these characters brought to life on stage.

I think this same nostalgia was felt by a lot of parents in the audience who were perhaps taking their children to experience something they have such fond memories of.

Overall this was a great show and will bring just as much joy to the little ones as the big kids at heart. — FB