'Beetlejuice' review — surrender to the hellish mayhem of this musical spectacular

Read our review of Beetlejuice, starring David Fynn, now in performances at the Prince Edward Theatre to 17 April 2027.

Summary

• The musical version of Tim Burton's movie Beetlejuice comes to the West End
• David Fynn stars as the chaotic central character
• Hannah Nordberg is a brilliantly gothic Lydia
• The production features spectacular special effects and a bold aesthetic

Beetlejuice the musical, based on Tim Burton’s 1988 film, has finally arrived loud, proud and death-dripping into the Prince Edward Theatre, after gathering a devoted cult following from its original Broadway run in 2019. And this visual spectacle is very much your classic big-bucks West End show. The sets are exceptional and eccentric. There are special effects galore. Half the audience comes dressed to honour Beetlejuice in stripes and green wigs.

But even with all the shiny packaging, Alex Timbers’ production never emotionally flies. That might be because Beetlejuice on Broadway feels different to Beetlejuice in the West End. Here, its all-American book by Scott Brown and Anthony King feels out of sync with British dry humour. Beetlejuice, played by David Fynn, is a scheming lunatic, gifting the audience chaotic asides and constant roars. The sickly-sweet couple Barbara (Chelsea Halfpenny) and Adam Maitland (David Hunter), who die tragically in an electrical accident, are oh-so twee and almost entirely void of irony.

Then there’s Delia (Aimie Atkinson), a wellness-babbling life coach who feels ripped straight from an Instagram infographic. Only Lydia (a brilliantly gothic Hannah Nordberg), in the early throes of grief after her mother’s death, truly manages to tug at the heartstrings, her spiky exterior acting as a cape for all the pain hidden underneath.

Her dad (Alasdair Harvey), meanwhile, will do just about anything to move forward, whether through his not-so-secret relationship with Delia or his refusal to speak about his late wife at all. At its best, the book digs into grief and the desperate, different ways people try to process it. But aside from Lydia, the supporting characters always seem to be battling for the spotlight, so it is never quite clear whose story lies at the heart of the show.

The plot stays close enough to the movie’s. After the Maitlands’ death, their house is taken over by Charles, Delia and Lydia, while Beetlejuice will do just about anything to get a living person to say his name three times in order to return to the land of the living. Still, Eddie Perfect’s songs are largely underwhelming, with Lydia’s anguish-driven number “Dead Mom” standing out as the rare sparkling moment.

The cast is unanimously strong, with welcome characterful additions from Irvine Iqbal’s lip-licking Maxie Dean and Atkinson’s desperately needy Delia. Nordberg sings her heart out on every pitch-perfect note. Fynn, meanwhile, makes Beetlejuice a suitably screeching nuisance.

This show otherwise rides heavily on its flashy design, but if it’s a bold aesthetic you’re after, you’re in the right place. With a set by David Korins that sees doors to Hell appear from thin air, fire flying from actors’ hands, and a supersized sandworm puppet emerging from the side of the stage, it’s definitely a feast for the eyes. It might be best to forget about the story and surrender to the hellish mayhem instead.

Beetlejuice is at the Prince Edward Theatre to 17 April 2027. Book Beetlejuice tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Photo credit: Beetlejuice (Photos by Johan Persson)