By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2

WHEN? Saturday 12 April 2025 (matinee, last night)

Based on the 1990 John Waters film (BFI Q&A), this new musical with book by the writer of Hairspray which ran on Broadway in 2008 is brought spectacularly to life in the best production we’ve yet seen at this east London studio venue.

• Read on for reasons including why this production should transfer into the West End

You join us in 1950s Baltimore, Maryland where the ‘squares’ are co-ordinating a polio vaccination rally and the delinquent ‘drapes’ are led by the titular Cry-Baby Walker who falls for ‘square’ Alison whose grandmother Mrs Vernon-Williams isn’t happy.

We listened to the 2008 cast album ahead of buying a ticket to the show and its contents are quite different to the film and director Mehmet Ergen, also the venue’s artistic director, has stuck closely to that template in what is a 1st UK performance for this show.

Best song is Act 2 reveal I Did Something Wrong Once neatly sung by Shirley Jameson (Hello Dolly!, London Palladium) as Mrs Vernon-Williams when we realise the role she played in the death penalty passed against Cry-Baby’s parents.

The score is bursting with particularly good numbers and Screw Loose by Eleanor Walsh as Cry-Baby’s fangirl Lenora Frigid is filled with un-pc backstory, Adam Davidson as our titular hero has a lot of fun with the playfully suggestive Can I Kiss You With Tongue? and Chad Saint Louis proves himself a vocal talent to watch for in the future with Jukebox Jamboree.

We’re in the front row and every inch of this studio venue is utilised to set a musical in the round where its participants are so close to its audience that the menace of the Drapes is real and the insipidness of the Squares palpable.

Fans of the Johnny Depp film like us will appreciate the inclusion of characters including Hatchet Face, pregnant Pepper and raunchy Wanda but the revelation is that the book is much improved and the forgiveness of Mrs Vernon-Williams by Cry-Baby really quite moving.

In many ways it’s also a joyous teeing up of Hairspray, also a Waters film turned musical, which takes place a few years after this is set.

The leads are extremely likeable and we can see exactly why this production won such glowing reviews which is why we would like to see it transfer into the West End soon to a venue which could replicate the extraordinarily exciting atmosphere here like the award-winning @SohoPlace.

We won’t give away the ending but it’s quite different to the film and this musical has upgraded all the elements of the original that needed a little rethought for this form and managed to keep the parts that worked best there intact.

We’ve seen quite a few shows over the years at this gem of an east London venue but this is most definitely the best. That West End transfer can’t come soon enough.

• Main pictures via Facebook courtesy Arcola Theatre Tickets
• Have you seen a John Waters show before and what did you think of this 1? Let us know what you thought in the comments below
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