Content Warning: Mentions themes of war

Perspective 1: Joi Foote

Bedknobs and Broomsticks ‘The Magical Musical’ arrived at the Alexandra Theatre to provide entertainment and fun for everyone in the family. Set in the 1940’s midst the second world war, apprentice witch Miss Eglantine Price (Dianne Pilkington) takes in three orphaned children (Charlie, Paul, and Carrie).

She sets out to use her powers to put a stop to the war and conflict taking place but when Emelius Brown (Charles Brunton) from the Witchcraft Training Correspondence school informs Miss Price of the school’s closure, she is unable to learn the spell she will use in her efforts to defeat the Nazis. We follow the children, Price, and Brown on a journey of rediscovering hope, a sense of belonging and the power of a child’s imagination. 

The musical begins with a depiction of the Rawlins family and the war which results in the death of their parents. The set then breaks apart immediately after to see the three children alone and scared. This swift shift of focus was accompanied by the ominous music and mirrored just how fast these children’s lives had changed forever.

The special effects were so carefully crafted and executed; it played into the magical reality unfolding before me

Whilst this moment is quite small, the loss of their parents frames the children stood before us. When 13-year-old Charlie Rawlins (Conor O’Hara) fails to have faith in the magic, insisting that this will not bring their parents back, I instantly thought back to this initial scene. But what begins as a story of loss, ends as a story of newfound love. 

The special effects were so carefully crafted and executed; it played into the magical reality unfolding before me. Not only would Miss Price’s broomstick take on a life of its own, their predominant mode of transportation – the enchanted bed – would light up and fly across the stage. As it transported our cast on their endeavours, they made a point to have the bed float through other props present on the stage. In doing so they cast doubt on any theories audience members like me were having as to how this was being executed. Whatever it was, it too transported us to a fantasy. 

Whilst not inherently a comedy, the performance was jam packed with several comedic and humorous moments; instances where the audience could not help but erupt with laughter. 

The costume choice from the main cast to the ensemble was befitting, transforming the characters to the 1940’s. With costume designer Gabriella Slade’s résumé including a number of periodical performances (The Importance of Being Ernest and The Last Days of Anne Boleyn), her ability to take us back in time is no surprise. Particularly, the scene where they attempt to retrieve the missing half of the book had truly well-crafted pieces. There was a sense of uniqueness in every costume, from the differing patterns to the accompanying accessories. The attention to detail was undeniable.

However, one thing I could not shake off was the resemblance Bedknobs and Broomsticks had with Mary Poppins

However, one thing I could not shake off was the resemblance Bedknobs and Broomsticks had with Mary Poppins. It is no surprise that this was an apparent cause for concern when the film was first introduced – it even led to delays in its initial production. With the same song writers Richard M. and Robert B Sherman, and Miss Price’s costume bearing many similarities, the only thing missing was the parrot handed umbrella. That being said, I do not want to take away from what Bedknobs and Broomsticks has to offer itself, out from under the cloud of its predecessors. Behind the flying broomsticks and magical beds, we get a story of belonging.

With all the fantasy you would expect from Disney and a variety of upbeat musical numbers, it was an all-round musical lover’s dream. Whilst catered to a much younger audience, we were nevertheless thoroughly entertained. Without giving away any spoilers, this is definitely one to watch, if only for the twist at the ending. 

---

Perspective 2: Julia Lee

Scored by the Sherman Brothers of Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang fame, Bedknobs and Broomsticks promises fantastical family-friendly fun. 

The scene is set before the music begins with a rectangular bedroom boxed in by a solid black curtain. Three children begin reading a pop-up book, and the curtain flies away to reveal not a fairy-tale world from the bedtime story, but a bomb-ridden London. The comforting yellow walls are replaced by an imposing blood moon framed by collapsed buildings, and silent film-esque vignettes of the siblings being evacuated from London ensues– all before any singing.

The audience is treated to the first taste of the dynamic, storybook-inspired set design that continued to amaze throughout the rest of the show. In the country town of Pepperinge Eye we are introduced to Eglantine Price, who reluctantly takes in the children Charlie, Carrie and Paul while secretly learning witchcraft from a correspondence college headed by ‘Professor’ Emelius Browne. 

Gabriella Slade’s costume design and Jamie Henderson’s set and illusion design were truly captivating– every set piece is brought on by members of the ensemble, who in their early 20th-century garb both blend into and highlight the era. This was exemplified in the group numbers ‘Portobello Road’ and ‘The Beautiful Briny’, the latter using the other highlight of the show, puppets.

There is no word to describe the design but magical

Operated by the ensemble, animals and an instance of a miniature Eglantine flying on her broom may not prompt suspension of disbelief but invites the audience to interpret the actors as a sort of force of nature. The excursion to the animal kingdom of Nopeepo not only calls back to Mary Poppins in style but the Sound of Music in song. The blocking (flying the bed through archways and the like) seemed to make it a point to show that there were no wires or camouflaged stagehands manoeuvring the bed or the broomstick. I could not figure out for the life of me how they flew. There is no word to describe the design but magical.

Unfortunately, the story was the weakest aspect of the show. The bombastic nature of the introduction set up an expectation for a confrontation of, if not the very specific time setting, then the family the children had lost as soon as the story began. A lot of that resolution is left up to the imagination, and the incongruence between the wartime background and Miss Price’s witchy whims was jarring. As the characters embarked on their journey to the Island of Nopeepo in the second act, any themes built up in the first were left by the wayside.

While an attempt was made to wrap up the story in the final minutes, it still left me unsatisfied with its resolution. The historical background is also never directly referenced but for the bombs in London, the ‘looming shadow’ of enemy soldiers and the style of the costumes. Although the story obviously takes place during the Blitz, courtesy of logical deduction and the original film, the story is made too simple by this omission. The elephant in the room looms large, and the impact of character motivations are lessened in the attempt to keep the musical light-hearted. Children’s stories should also make adults think, and I do not believe Bedknobs and Broomsticks has gone far or deep enough to achieve that end. 

The thin plot is more than compensated for by the actors’ performances

The thin plot is more than compensated for by the actors’ performances. The adult leads have a character and tone to their voice typical of Golden Age musicals that perfectly capture the classic ‘unlikely pair’ dynamic. Dianne Pilkington as the earnest trainee witch Eglantine Price has enough charm and style to power a broomstick (or a bed).

The magician Emelius Browne is magnetically and comedically played by Charles Brunton. The children were led by Charlie (Conor O’Hara), a 13-year-old boy on the cusp of ‘The Age of Not Believing’, whose reprises of ‘Negotiality’ inject his humorous philosophy at opportune times. Kudos must be given to the ensemble, whose seamless double roles as crew members elevate what could have been just another children’s musical to a thoroughly enjoyable spectacle. 

Despite the lacking plot, with all of Bedknobs and Broomsticks’ pieces working like a well-oiled machine, it is hard to believe that this is only its maiden voyage. 

---

Enjoyed this? Read more musical reviews on Redbrick Culture!

Musical Review: The Magician’s Elephant

Musical Review: Chicago – A Double Perspective

Musical Review: The Rocky Horror Show – A Double Perspective