All the ways 'Beetlejuice' on stage is similar and different to the film

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice... the ghost with the most has travelled all the way to the West End, and we can't wait to see how the musical puts a twist on Tim Burton's wacky film.

Summary

• The stage musical version of Beetlejuice is opening in the West End
• The show follows the story from Tim Burton's beloved movie
• There are some differences in how the characters are presented and their journeys
• Beetlejuice and Lydia get more emotionally resonant dramatic arcs

Get ready for the time of your (after)life as Beetlejuice prepares for his spectacular West End debut. The sensational Broadway musical is making its much-anticipated UK premiere, bringing this demonic ghost and his spine-tingling escapades to the Prince Edward Theatre.

The show is based on Tim Burton’s cult-hit 1988 film of the same name, capturing its gothic horror comedy spirit and giving audiences a theatrical version of its zany plot and beloved characters. But there are also some notable changes in this screen-to-stage transfer that are fun to explore. Ahead of your trip, check out the major similarities and differences.

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The story is familiar

If you adored the Beetlejuice movie plot, you’ll be pleased to hear it’s more or less the same in the stage show. Once again we see Adam and Barbara Maitland navigating their confusing situation as newlydeads, and trying to scare away the new family who have moved into their home: the Deetzes, Charles and his unhappy teenage daughter Lydia. The Maitlands enlist the help of Beetlejuice, whose antics include possessing a dinner party so that the guests start singing “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)”.

Lydia is the only human who can see the deceased characters, including Beetlejuice, and we watch a battle of wills play out as Beetlejuice goes to extremes to remain in the mortal world while Lydia tries to outsmart him. The increasingly thrilling plot includes magic, giant sandworms, and some great twists as the story reaches its climax.

Beetlejuice has a much bigger role

While in the film it takes a while for us to actually meet our title character (played by Michael Keaton), in the stage musical he’s there from the start, acting as our guide and gleeful emcee – even breaking the fourth wall and speaking to the audience. He’s also a more fully developed character with a richer dramatic arc.

We come to understand more of Beetlejuice’s psychology on stage, including his loneliness and sense of alienation, as he’s stuck between two worlds and the living can’t see or acknowledge him. We also learn more about his parenting and what drives him. On the fun side, the musical gives the actor playing Beetlejuice incredible set-piece moments: it’s a true tour-de-force role.

Beetlejuice bonds with Lydia

Lydia is also given a slightly different, and more emotionally resonant, journey in the stage show. In the film she’s a morbid, goth teen, but in the stage show her story begins with the death of her mother, and we see more of her complex grieving process. Her profound loneliness allows her to bond with Beetlejuice.

Of course, this isn’t a straightforward friendship, since Beetlejuice has plenty of ulterior motives. But it’s a clever twist on the movie plot, giving the audience more to connect with and making both these central characters relatable. It also adds heft to the tense latter stages of the story, as we’re more invested in seeing these two face off.

The Maitlands don’t drown

While in the movie version Adam and Barbara die when their car swerves off a bridge and into the river, in the stage show they instead crash through the rickety floorboards of their home. Since the incredible house is the centrepiece of Beetlejuice’s ambitious stage set, it makes sense to have their death occur within it too.

There is a slightly different plot for the Maitlands’ beloved home too. While in the movie Charles Deetz, a real estate developer, renovates it in a postmodern style (to their horror), in the stage show Charles has grand plans to start a gated community – with his new house as the flagship model home.

There are new and updated characters

While in the film Charles has already remarried – to sculptor Delia – in the stage show he’s technically single, although he’s secretly romantically involved with the New Age Delia, who he’s hired to be Lydia’s life coach. Charles’s growing closeness to Delia contributes to the grieving Lydia’s suicidal feelings.

The character of Otho is changed from being an interior designer in the movie to Delia’s fraudulent guru onstage. He’s brought in later in the story to help the Deetzes trap Beetlejuice, and he’s a much more devious character than his screen counterpart.

Completely new characters in the stage show include the briefly seen Girl Scout Skye, who visits the house selling cookies in a very (darkly!) funny gag, and, in the Netherworld, the deceased beauty queen Miss Argentina. The latter has some important life lessons for Lydia which help shift her perspective. There’s also a new dimension to the character of Netherworld customs office Juno which we won’t spoil here...

It’s still a supernatural thrill ride

The stage version retains the movie’s sense of otherworldly wonder. We travel down to the Netherworld, we see unbelievable ghostly happenings in the house (thanks to the musical’s whizzy special effects), and yes, there are sandworms, courtesy of puppet designer Michael Curry.

The stage show retains all of the movie’s idiosyncratic pleasures, including its signature goth aesthetic – and Beetlejuice’s distinctive look. But this new medium also allows it to expand the emotional range of the story, through plot tweaks and the stirring score, as well as bringing all the spooky thrills to audiences live.

Book Beetlejuice tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Main photo credit: David Fynn in Beetlejuice (Photo courtesy of the production). Inset: Beetlejuice on Broadway (Photos by Matthew Murphy)