Review: RIDE THE CYCLONE, Southwark Playhouse Elephant
Photo credit: Danny Kaan
Ride the Cyclone is a creepy, quirky and wonderfully surreal story of six schoolchildren who perish in a rollercoaster accident and find themselves reflecting on their short lives.
Presiding over their fate is the fortune-telling automaton The Amazing Karnak (Edward Wu), who declares that one of them will be granted a second chance at life - so long as the group can unanimously decide who is most worthy of it. It’s a unique premise, portrayed with a surprising emotional weight.
Despite its macabre set-up, the production is often laugh-out-loud funny, thanks largely to the talented cast inhabiting these offbeat, socially awkward characters. As each pleads their case for another shot at life, they revel in the oddities and insecurities that have shaped them.
Driving the show forward is Baylie Carson as straight-A student Ocean O’Connell Rosenberg. She kicks off the ‘contest’ with a sharply comic number about how the world needs more people like her, while gleefully dismissing the merits of her peers. Ryan Dawson-Laight’s striking set design and Lizzi Gee’s inventive choreography make full use of the intimate Southwark Playhouse Elephant space, amplifying the show’s frenetic energy.
A standout of this production is Bartek Kraszewski, who makes an impressive professional debut as charismatic Ukrainian SoundCloud rapper Mischa Bachinski. His performance is electric and demonstrates why he is one to watch. Each character enjoys a moment in the literal spotlight: Robyn Gilbertson delivers the evening’s most touching performance as Ocean’s loyal best friend Constance Blackwood, while Damon Gould is thrilling as Noel Gruber, a repressed teenager who dreams of a life spent in vintage cabaret glamour.
Perhaps the most curious character of the piece is Jane Doe, so named because she was unidentified at the time of the tragedy. Grace Galloway gives a suitably creepy yet camp performance and demonstrates an incredible vocal range. Jack Maverick completes the group as Ricky Potts, whose sci-fi-infused solo ‘Space Age Bachelor Man’ practically steals the show.
Created by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell, Ride the Cyclone isn’t the most accessible musical but its curious ambiguity is part of the surreal charm. While a few songs prove less memorable than others, the commitment and energy of the ensemble make the piece hugely entertaining.
It’s easy to see why Ride the Cyclone has achieved cult-classic status. Sharply witty, unexpectedly moving and completely bonkers, this run is absolutely worth catching.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Tom Ambrose
