Bugsy Malone The Musical has landed at the Wales Millennium Centre until Saturday 21st January. Bringing back memories from the 90’s. At that time, the Alan Parker Bugsy Malone film was still a hit and a pleasure to watch. It was so amazing as a child seeing an all children cast, with child actors such as Jodie Foster and Scott Baio. The songs were so catchy and after watching the movie just once, you would have memorised all of the soundtracks. Yes, it was that good.

For the purpose of this review, we were given free entries to Bugsy Malone, The Musical.

Background

“Bugsy Malone” is a musical comedy film released in 1976, directed by Alan Parker and written by Parker and Hall Bartlett. It features a cast of child actors and an all-singing, all-dancing cast, and is set in the 1920s in New York City. The film was a commercial and critical success and has since become a cult classic with catchy songs and witty dialogue. A stage musical adaptation of the film premiered in London’s West End in 1979. The show has been performed in many countries and it is still being performed as a school, community and professional production.

We attended the musical on their opening night and to make the most of this experience, our mini TIC member (9 years old) came along too.

The set is based on Fat Sam’s speakeasy and mixes showgirls and New York gangsters to take us along a journey of love, deception, gang wars and big dreams. At the beginning we were wondering if it would be an all children cast like in the film, but during the first couple of minutes you get to see that the main characters are children with the rest of the cast being slightly older. And it is totally understandable and good that they have kept the main characters children, because that was the whole point of the film.

There are no real guns on show and instead there is ones loaded with cream, which to some children can be confusing but yet they may find it to be fun. Each child and cast member performed phenomenally and their choreography was so on point and fun to watch. They were entertaining, the children were so professional in their singing and acting. There were funny one liners and some interacting with the audience, especially at the end of the show.

Plot

In Act 1 you will hear songs such as Tomorrow, Bad Guys and I’m Feeling Fine.

The story begins with the arrival of Bugsy Malone, a young and ambitious gangster, to New York City. He quickly rises through the ranks of the local gangs, earning the respect of their leaders, Fat Sam and Dandy Dan. Along the way, he also catches the eye of Blousey Brown, a young singer who works at Fat Sam’s speakeasy. As Bugsy and Blousey’s relationship develops, tensions between the gangs come to a head and a full-scale gang war erupts.

In Act 2 you will hear My name is Tallulah, So You Wanna be a Boxer and Give a Little love.

As the war rages on, Bugsy and Blousey must navigate the dangerous world of the gangs while also trying to keep their romance alive. Along the way, they are faced with betrayal, heartbreak, and difficult choices. In the end, Bugsy must decide between his love for Blousey and his loyalty to his fellow gangsters.

Summary

For us there were some outstanding scenes and funny ones too. We do not want to give too much away but there is a car scene that is very funny and well set up. When “My Name is Tallulah” was performed, it was awesome and so heart warming.

As the main characters are children it adds a touch of innocence and humor to the story, making this show great for families and audiences of all ages. With catchy songs and witty dialogue, Bugsy Malone is a musical adventure that will transport you back to the Roaring Twenties. If you ever have a chance to see it live, don’t miss it!

A special congratulations has to go to the main cast: Gabriel Payne (Bugsy), Mia Lakha (Blousey), Albie Snelson (Fat Sam), Jasmine Sakyiama (Tallulah) and Aidan Oti (Fizzy) because they are so talented and had beautiful and unique voices. We are sure you guys have inspired many of the children that went to see you that night, to achieve their dreams. And of course a big congratulations to the supporting cast too, because it was an all around brilliant performance.

A big thank you to Wales Millennium Centre for having us.

The length of this musical

The show runs for approximately 2 hours, including the interval.

Getting your tickets

You can purchase your tickets HERE. The tickets start from £17.50 and the show is available until Saturday 21st January. Age guidance: 6+. Please check the link for times as they may vary, depending on the day.

If you have already watched this production, let us know your thoughts in the comments below or if you go to watch it, come back here if you can and left us know too. 

Thank you for reading. 

Stay safe

Kay