Review: THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL at Queen Elizabeth Hall

In short, it depends on two key factors — firstly, are you a huge fan of the animated TV programme, and/or do you have kids to keep entertained? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, you will undoubtedly appreciate the frenzied, colourful and bubbly goings-on at Bikini Bottom where SpongeBob (Lewis Cornay) lives in a pineapple and is surrounded by an assortment of daft and dubious characters including arch nemesis Sheldon J Plankton (Divina De Campo).

Every song feels inserted to a glib formula and the result is deliberately corny. The succession of tunes cajoled into life by a fun-loving and rocky onstage band, neatly shove the ultra-thin plot line along at a fair lick so that no-one need ever be wracked by fear or undue terror that the sea bed is about to be boiled and consumed by ash due to the imminent eruption of a volcano. As the TV news announcer and his Doomsday clock count down, the inhabitants variously panic, look to blame others, or (in the case of SpongeBob and his brighter chums) mount an expedition to thwart the impending disaster and impress all those resident doubters and naysayers… but will they succeed???

It’s harmless, slight irritating, hugely energised, never especially taxing, psychedelically colourful, panto-esque, supremely silly and insufficiently engaged with the mildly adult themes to ever prove genuinely witty or groundbreaking. And if you are surprised by any of that, I’d be amazed.

Personally, I loathed every excrutiating moment, but if you love the TV show, musicals, and colourful absurdity (or indeed, need to keep the kids entertained for an hour or so), you’ll undoubtedly have an absolute ball.