Review: BUGSY MALONE, Theatre Royal, Glasgow

Opening at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow this week is the first-ever professional UK tour of the classic musical Bugsy Malone. Based on the 1976 movie by Alan Parker, Bugsy Malone takes the glamour and gangsters of the 1920s and mixes it up with a cast of children. Replacing bloody violence is the use of splurge guns and custard pies.

The young cast perform on rotation throughout the tour and brings bags of charisma to the production. The dialogue isn't always clear and the narrative is a little hard to follow at times but the spectacle of the show ensures a good evening of entertainment. Drew McOnie's choreography is a highlight of this production along with Jon Bausor's set and costume design.

Set in the prohibition era, Bugsy Malone is a penniless boxing promoter who wants to earn money to impress a new-in-town singer called Blousey Brown and gets involved with mobster Fat Sam in order to earn some cash. The violence is slapstick and the gunshots are comedy pops and cracks rather than loud bangs.

Bugsy Malone is a fun musical that doesn't take itself too seriously and is backed up by impressive production values.

Photo credit: Johan Persson

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