This is our theatre review for The Monkey With No Bum – The Musical at Liverpool‘s Bombed Out Church!
Synopsis Of The Monkey With No Bum – The Musical
So, this show brings to life this colourful book all about Charlie The Monkey. Now, the setting is Jungle School as we meet the headmaster Mr Plop (Asa Murphy, the writer of the book). And he introduces us to Miss Jolly (Catherine Rice), who quickly has the kids in attendance laughing. And not just some laughs, but huge, belting laughs as she determines which section of the audience is the loudest. From there, she begins to read us the story itself, but not before an appearance by Charlie himself. Charlie just wants to play, especially after hearing that there may be a party. So, Miss Jolly and Charlie create a party-like atmosphere with a number of songs that involve the audience, from guessing fruits to shaking bums. Oh, yes; the Bum Bum song was a big part of this show!
Onto the story itself then, which begins with the sound of birds tweeting. So, we learn that Charlie is a generally happy young monkey, but there’s just one problem. He doesn’t have a very big bum. In fact, he only has a little bum, and his friends tease him for that fact. So, for his birthday, his parents buy him a gift voucher for The Great Big Bum Shop. And he can pick any bum he wants in terms of size, shape, colour, and even pattern! Just before he makes his choice, Charlie’s parents remind him that they love him no matter what his appearance is. And so Charlie has a change of heart as he decides that he is perfect in any way. And that’s the core message of this tale; you’re perfect as you are because you’re unique and special.
Analysis Of The Monkey With No Bum – The Musical
Mr Plop makes the kids laugh on numerous occasions, especially since he comes from a long line of “plops!” And he also inspires the one rule in Jungle School: “Have fun!” The audience claps along and approves of that. Meanwhile, Miss Jolly is always laughing, hence the sound Laughing Friends, which involves plenty of audience interaction. But Charlie, despite the sadness about his bum, is also in the mood for singing e.g. The Fruit Song. And of course, we have the Bum Bum Song, which was a treat for the audience to join in with.
This is a fantastic show for kids of all ages, not to mention for adults too! At one hour long, it’s just the right running time, with great actors and strong performances (Catherine Rice in particular was very good). Not forgetting the positive message of how it’s okay for everyone to be different as that’s what makes us all unique. It’s a great way to end the show, with the kids all leaving the venue with a smile on their faces. Especially those who got to meet the cast after the show ended!
Summary Of The Monkey With No Bum – The Musical
This is a highly recommended show, especially for anyone with young children. Coming in the midst of the summer holidays, everyone was excited and beaming positivity after watching this production. Make sure to attend what we consider a flawless children’s show yourself!
