By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHEN? Friday 16 January, opens 22 January and runs through 28 February 2026 RUNTIME: 100 minutes (no interval)

Corneau (pictured centre above) has written the music and lyrics for this look at the life of Zelda Fitzgerald and her husband F. Scott, who wrote classic novel The Great Gatsby, through the eyes of their daughter.

• Read on for reasons including how Corneau has great potential and may well go on to write and star in something quite exceptional next

‘Beautiful little fool’ are the words used in The Great Gatsby to describe a mother’s lack of aspirations for her young daughter hoping she has no further ambitions beyond becoming a beautiful and docile rich wife.

Corneau also plays Zelda while Olivier Award-nominated Lauren Ward (Heathers the musical, Theatre Royal Haymarket) is daughter Scottie, now grown, and narrating the story with the perspective of time on her side.

We’re here because 1 of our favourite actor/writers Declan Bennett (Boy Out The City, Turbine Theatre) was originally cast as F. Scott to be replaced by David Hunter (Waitress, Adelphi Theatre).

The first thing we notice from our front row seat is how big the set is. It almost feels like it’s too big for this off-West End venue, with its stairs leading up on both sides to a balcony we have to strain our neck to see when the cast make it up there.

There’s also no lack of talent in the director’s chair with Michael Greif a 5-time Tony Award nominee for original productions of some of our favourite musicals including Rent, Next To Normal and Dear Evan Hansen.

Corneau clealry has lots of potential but our problem with Beautiful Little Fool is that despite listening to the score before the show there were no real showstoppers in its midst.

Built To Last (listen above) and One Night In July (listen below) are probably the highlights but with so much going on in Zelda’s life, she became known as the 1st American flapper for her wild antics and incessant partying, it’s a shame that the music is so middle of the road and polite.

Zelda died at 48 in a fire in an institution where she was struggling with her mental health and yet we somehow wanted more particularly from Hunter’s rather uninspiring puppy dog portrayal of the great love of her life.

Do see Beautiful Little Fool to familiarise yourself with Corneau who has great potential and may well go on to write and star in something quite exceptional next.

But don’t expect to be humming the score afterwards because Beautiful Little Fool is not quite as attractive as hoped for.

• Main pictures via Facebook courtesy Southwark Playhouse Tickets
• Have you seen David Hunter before and what did you think of him? Let us know what you thought in the comments below
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