Review: BEETLEJUICE at Östgötateatern

In 1988, Tim Burten made the film Beetlejuice and the musical based on it premiered on Broadway in 2019 and now it has its European premiere at the Östgöteatern in Norrköping. Once again, Östgötateatern has found a musical gem and put its mark on it.

Beelejuice is a twisted ghost comedy and like nothing else I have ways, but incredibly good.

In the opening scene we meet teenage Lydia (Sayuri Yukawa) whose mother has just died and is buried in the opening scene. Lydia and her father move into a new house where the previous owners Barbara (Karin Oscarsson) and Adam (Olle Roberg) fell through a murky floor and died, but they remain in the house like ghosts. In the same house also lives the demon Beetlejuice (Peter Jansson), who wants nothing more than to return to earthly life. But to do that he needs the help of someone alive. Someone like Lydia…

When you enter the salon, you are greeted by the drapery being lit in a blue/turquoise color and already there I get the feeling that this could be good. The scenery by Stina Martinsen together with Palle Palmén's lighting design is absolutely outstanding and absolutely West End and Broadway class. Elaborate, neat through and through. The costumes reflect and lift all the characters just right, toned down and beige on the everyday and somewhat mindless couple Barbara and Adam, Lydia dressed in all black as if taken from the Addams family and Beetlejucie in her striped suit and unruly green hair. The ensemble's costume is also just right and on the wacky side when it needs to be. Mask and wig by John Hanna based on the characters. Yes, all the visuals are top notch.

Peter Jansson has found a perfect level as Beetlejuice. Charismatic and crazy without being overplayed – the question is, can that role even be overplayed? He goes from being a "kind" demon in act one to acting out his entire repertoire of spooks when he doesn't get his way. Beetlejuice may be the name of the musical but the one who impresses the most is Sayuri Yukawa as the teenage girl Lydia. Sayuri has her last year at SMU but she really owns the role of Lydia. The looks, the acting and the singing performance are incomparably good and it is a pleasure to see her on stage - a new musical star shining on the stage.

The whole ensemble is very coordinated and everyone performs at their best. Karin Oscarsson goes from the kind quiet Barbara to really roaring in and taking command. Carolina Harrysson is brilliant as Delia (Lydia's father's new partner). Daniel Sjöberg is good in all his small roles and literally does the most dizzying role in the musical.

It is only to congratulate the Östgötateatern for this fantastic musical that delivers in every part. A musical that amuses and spreads joy when the autumn darkness falls and worth going to Norrköping or Linköping to see. As musical lovers, it is so wonderful to see that musicals at this level are not only performed on the big stages in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö.

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