REVIEW: THE MAD ONES @ THE OTHER PALACE

🎭 The Mad Ones

📍 The Other Palace Studio, 12 Palace Street, London, SW1E 5JA

🗓 Friday 9th May 2025

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THE NEXT BIG MUSICAL THEATRE HIT

In the intimate confines of The Other Palace Studio, a remarkable musical is driving to success. I walked into THE MAD ONES completely blind, not knowing what to expect. It's safe to say however that I was blown away by this production.

The story follows the central character of Samantha as she juggles her relationships with her boyfriend and mother, with grieving the sudden loss of her best friend. She has her whole future ahead of her as she sits alone in the driver's seat of her car, but which route will help her let go of her past and head into life full-throttle?

There is nothing not to love about this sensational show, so please excuse me for a moment while I fangirl over this production!

The writing by Kait Kerrigan and Bree Lowdermilk is exemplary. Every song is an instant earworm and the narrative of the story is succinct and easy to follow. There is nothing pretentious about the show. It never tries to be anything other than what it is, and that's a strong story filled with intent and meaning.

The show oozes creativity and it's obvious how much this show has been nurtured to be the best possible version of itself. The creative passion in the driving seat is obvious and what an absolute treat it is to have this masterpiece in London.

Emily Susanne Lloyd's direction cleverly ensures that the entire auditorium is brought into the story, and even sat on the end of a row as I was, no one in the audience is forgotten. She obviously has a deep understanding of the story and it has been put on the stage with intent and precision.

The cast are a dream, delivering each line and lyric with heartfelt resolve. Dora Gee leads the company with unwavering competence, taking the audience willingly along on her story. Gabriel Hincliffe is lovably charming and a little nerdy whilst Thea Jo Wolfe portrayed controlling concern wonderfully. The entire cast had meritorious vocals, but Courtney Stapleton stole the show for me with her power and control.

The emotion portrayed by this sensational cast was exceptional, and alongside a simple yet brilliantly functional set and some of the best lighting design I have witnessed in such a small space, THE MAD ONES is easily the best new musical I have seen for a long time.

I can smell a West End transfer for this incredible show. Regular followers of mine will know how easily I can become obsessed with a show and I'm sure that the huge future I predict for this production could end up costing me a lot of money!

This show definietly excels the hype so click here to book yourself a ticket. There's no way you can be disappointed by this flawless production. Be quick though, THE MAD ONES is only playing until Sunday 1st June.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one person.

My ticket for this performance of The Mad Ones was gifted by Chloe Nelkin Consulting who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.

CAST LIST:

Dora Gee as Samantha Brown; Courtney Stapleton as Kelly; Gabriel Hinchliffe as Adam; Thea Jo Wolfe as Beverly

RUNNING TIME (approx):

2 hours, including interval

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Contains scenes of a sexual nature; Themes of loss and grieving