Review: The SpongeBob Musical - Kilmacud Musical Society

Society name: Kilmacud Musical Society

Show name: The SpongeBob Musical

Adjudicator date of attendance: 16/04/2026

‘The SpongeBob Musical’ is one of the more unusual shows to emerge in recent years. Based on the popular Nickelodeon animated series, it takes the familiar characters of Bikini Bottom and places them in an unexpectedly heartfelt story about community, friendship and optimism in the face of impending doom. Its score is particularly unusual, featuring songs written by an eclectic collection of artists including David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, Sara Bareilles, John Legend, Steven Tyler and many more. On paper, that may sound a bit chaotic, but somehow it works. Kilmacud Musical Society’s production at the dlr Mill Theatre fully embraced the show’s craziness. From the moment the performance began, there was an infectious sense of fun and positivity. What struck me most throughout the performance was the genuine sense of enjoyment coming from the cast. Beneath the bright colours and relentless comic business, there was also real heart to the storytelling, particularly in the show’s themes of unity, acceptance and hope.

Front of house was very well organised by the theatre staff, with everything running smoothly and efficiently on arrival. What stayed with me most, however, was something far more personal. As the audience gathered outside the auditorium waiting for the house to open, there was a large group of young people with special needs attending the performance. The excitement in the foyer was genuinely beautiful to witness. There were hugs, laughter and animated conversations. I was asked how I was, if I was looking forward to the show and who my favourite character was. There was something really uplifting about standing in a space so full of genuine warmth and affection. Before the show had begun, the evening already felt special. That atmosphere carried into the performance itself. The cast were rewarded with the most honest reactions imaginable. The laughter and cheers were completely genuine and I can only imagine how rewarding that must have been. It was a lovely reminder of why theatre matters for every one of us.

It was clear throughout that director Stephen Fagan completely understood the offbeat humour of ‘The SpongeBob Musical’. Mr. Fagan embraced the chaos with gusto, trusting his cast to lean into its absurdity. One of the production’s strengths was the seamless integration of the graphics on the large LED screen. Much of the comedy and visual storytelling came through this and a lot of thought had gone into how these elements would work. The graphics were slick and extremely well produced, allowing scenes to transition rapidly from one location to another without ever losing momentum. Another inspired touch was the inclusion of the Foley artist downstage left. When visible, she was a real part of the performance, fully entering into the madness and creating the sound effects in real time. In spite of the show’s eccentricity, there was impressive clarity to the storytelling. The show’s premise is fairly bonkers but Mr. Fagan’s direction never allowed it to become confusing. The staging of ‘Chop to the Top’ was outstanding. This sequence pulled together so many elements to create one of the show’s standout moments. The bubbles, smoke jets, lighting, sound effects, physical comedy, outstanding vocals and precise coordination of the Mount Humongous steps combined to create a genuinely exhilarating sequence. Overall, this was superb work from Mr. Fagan.

Rachel Birmingham’s choreography captured the chaotic spirit of the show extremely well. The movement was energetic, playful and fully in tune with the offbeat humour of the piece. Cast looked comfortable within the choreography for the most part, throwing themselves into the madness of Bikini Bottom with commitment. ‘Bikini Bottom Day’ was full of lively movement and was very together. ‘When the Going Gets Tough’ was another real highlight. It had great swagger and style and Sheldon’s interaction with his backing dancers worked brilliantly. ‘I’m Not a Loser’ was very entertaining, with the sea anemones tapping their way through what was a suitably showy production number. ‘Best Day Ever’ radiated optimism and positivity. It was impossible not to be swept along by it and it was clear that the cast was having an absolute ball.

Christopher MacDonald was outstanding in the title role of SpongeBob SquarePants, capturing the character’s innocence, optimism and eccentric spirit. Mr. McDonald’s SpongeBob was full of childlike enthusiasm and infectious positivity. He found exactly the right balance between the silliness and sincerity. His singing throughout was exceptional. ‘(Just A) Simple Sponge’ was beautifully performed. His upper register was particularly impressive and the flourish at the end of the number was quite stunning. Mr. MacDonald was so animated and engaged throughout, maintaining SpongeBob’s boundless energy without ever appearing forced. His facial expressions were wonderfully exaggerated in an almost cartoon-like way, perfectly suiting the style of the production, while his comic timing was sharp and instinctive throughout.

Conor Johnston was wonderful as Patrick Star, bringing terrific warmth, comic instinct and an endearing innocence to the role. Patrick is the ultimate lovable fool of Bikini Bottom, blissfully unaware and often completely ridiculous. But he is also fiercely loyal behind the chaos. Mr. Johnston captured all of those qualities extremely well. His comic timing was consistently strong throughout. Singing was strong throughout. ‘(I Guess I) Miss You’, with SpongeBob, was genuinely lovely. The sincerity and warmth from both was beautiful. Overall, this was a hugely enjoyable performance from Mr. Johnston.

Sarah Riddick gave a very strong performance as Sandy Cheeks, Bikini Bottom’s science-loving, karate-chopping squirrel and brought terrific energy and confidence to the role. Her comic timing was excellent. Vocally, she was excellent. ‘Hero Is My Middle Name’ was a particular highlight, delivered with fabulous clarity and power. Her performance in ‘Tomorrow Is’ was equally impressive. There was a lovely fullness and strength to her voice and a superb tone that allowed the song’s optimism to shine beautifully. She was also wonderful in ‘Chop to the Top’, which was the standout sequence of the evening.

Carl Mageean was excellent as Squidward, fully embracing the character’s theatricality, vanity and exaggerated sense of self-importance. Mr. Mageean threw himself into the camp absurdity of the role and was hilarious in doing so. His physicality was exceptionally good. For all the flamboyance and comedy, though, there was also a vulnerability that stopped the character becoming too one-dimensional. ‘I’m Not a Loser’ was a highlight. It was performed with great theatrical flair and was hammed up to the max. A hugely entertaining performance from start to finish.

Nadine Conlon was wonderful in the role of Pearl. She totally understood the quirky humour of the character and was gloriously over-the-top in all the right ways. Her singing was outstanding. Ms Conlon had a fabulous gospel-like vocal, full of richness, control and power and it was genuinely breathtaking at times. ‘Daddy Knows Best’ was a musical highlight, delivered with style and showing off her extremely impressive vocal range.

Alan Lau did very well as Sheldon J. Plankton, creating a deliciously theatrical archvillain. Complete with eyepatch and sinister energy, he threw himself into Plankton’s overblown evil genius persona and relished every second of it. Mr. Lau had excellent facial expressions and there was a cartoon-like quality to his performance that suited the style perfectly. He was excellent in ‘When the Going Gets Tough’, showing great energy and swagger alongside his backing dancers.

I really enjoyed Lauren Whistler’s portrayal of Karen the Computer. This was a performance full of control and deliciously dry humour. Ms Whistler was quite at home in the bizarre cartoon world and never once let the character slip. I loved her stylised delivery, which was just enough to suggest the robotic nature of the character. It worked brilliantly alongside her deadpan delivery. What impressed me most was the consistency of her physicality. Ms Whistler’s expressionless demeanour was so well judged and conveyed so much personality at the same time.

Sophie Ann Chisholm, Charley White and Olivia O’Donoghue made a very cool and hugely entertaining trio as the Electric Skates. These three performers worked extremely well together. There was a lovely chemistry between them and they fully embraced the exaggerated, larger-than-life style. Their singing as a group was very impressive, blending very well together. They were also excellent movers, handling the choreography with great confidence. There was good understanding of the comedy and their over-the-top delivery was pitched perfectly throughout.

Sue Neary was very funny as the roving reporter Perch Perkins, popping up with breaking news updates that were a hilarious recurring device. I loved the animated delivery she brought to the character. It was wonderfully exaggerated and her rapid-fire presentation style suited the tone perfectly. An excellent portrayal overall.

Felicity Neary was a constant presence as the Foley artist, affectionately referred to during the show as “Lady Making All the Sounds” and she most certainly did. This was fabulous work from Ms Neary, who was completely focused from beginning to end and quite literally never missed a beat. She fully embraced the madness and humour, making a hugely enjoyable contribution to the production overall.

There was great work too from the supporting cast throughout.

Joyce Neary was very funny as the grumpy Old Man Jenkins, creating a character full of personality despite relatively limited stage time.

Kate Canavan brought great animation and energy to the role of Mrs. Puff with exaggerated reactions and very strong comic timing.

Ray Bissett was another wonderful character as Eugene Krabs. He was gravelly-voiced, loud and completely unapologetic, in what was a very funny, larger-than-life characterisation.

David Supple had great fun as Patchy the Pirate. He had brilliant rapport with the audience and clearly relished the interaction and banter, much of which felt spontaneous and off the cuff.

The ensemble work was very strong and played a big part in creating the show’s vibrant, chaotic atmosphere. The cast had fully bought into the madness of the production style, throwing themselves wholeheartedly into every scene. Full credit must go to the cast and to Mr. Fagan for achieving that level of understanding and commitment. Their discipline during the many ensemble freezes throughout the show was particularly impressive. Musically, the ensemble sang very well. The harmonies were absolutely there, particularly during the less heavily orchestrated moments where the vocal arrangements could really be appreciated.

The simple but effective set design worked extremely well at creating a playful and energetic Bikini Bottom. The large LED screen was central to the design and was a very important storytelling device. The graphics were extremely slick and allowed the production to move seamlessly from location to location. The imagery perfectly suited the cartoon-inspired tone of the show. The various set pieces also blended very naturally into the action. The Mount Humongous steps were particularly effective. Overall, a really vibrant, colourful design which echoed the animated roots of the show so well.

Lighting was excellent throughout the production and was completely in tune with the animated origins and heightened style of the show. The design established the underwater world beautifully. The preset in particular was gorgeous, with moving light effects creating the atmosphere of Bikini Bottom before the show began. The volcanic eruption sequences were especially impressive, with dramatic effects that added great urgency. The numerous ensemble freezes were lit very effectively and the coordination between lighting and sound effects was consistently sharp. Sheldon’s green lighting motif was a very effective device, cleverly woven into the production. ‘Chop to the Top’ was one of the technical highlights of the night. The lighting in this sequence was superb, combining with graphics, sound, movement, effects and staging to create what can only really be described as a genuine wow moment.

Sound was the one technical area where the production encountered some challenges. This was largely in relation to overall band balance within the space. In a venue as intimate as the Mill Theatre, keeping careful control of volume levels is particularly important, especially in a show as high-energy as ‘The SpongeBob Musical’. There were many times where the balance leaned too heavily towards bass and drums, overpowering vocals, voiceovers and choral work. What made this slightly frustrating was that, elsewhere, things were actually very strong. Dialogue clarity was excellent, with no missed cues, and the EQ settings on individual voices were very well-judged. When the orchestration settled, the quality of vocals and ensemble harmonies was very obvious. A little more control in overall band levels would have allowed more of that excellent work to shine through.

The costume design was full of exaggeration and silliness from beginning to end. The hugely bright colours suited the animated roots of the show. Rather than aiming for literal recreations from the animated series, the costumes cleverly suggested each character. It was a very successful approach. SpongeBob’s iconic look was perfectly captured. Pearl also looked very well, with her fabulous platform boots adding hugely to the character’s over-the-top attitude. Perch Perkins’ wonderfully absurd TV test-card suit was a brilliant visual gag and perfectly matched the cartoonish tone. Patrick’s giant wings for the climax of ‘Super Sea Star Savior’ were hilarious and Squidward’s silver tails during ‘I’m Not a Loser’ were another fabulous touch. Ensemble costumes were equally strong, giving us a wide range of extremely quirky, eccentric Bikini Bottom citizens.

Props were of a very high standard, adding to the wonderfully eccentric cartoon world of Bikini Bottom. There was great attention to detail and the props team clearly got the offbeat humour and absurdity of the piece. Patrick’s long-lost cheese was suitably ridiculous, while his bellybutton scratcher captured the show’s randomness perfectly. The ‘avalanche maker’ weapon also looked terrific, adding nicely to the dramatic silliness of Mount Humongous. The ‘heavy’ boulders added great physical comedy to the action and my favourite visual gag was the flattened Old Man Jenkins which was hilariously cartoonesque.

Hair, makeup and wigs were all very strong and played an important role in helping to bring the heightened cartoon world of Bikini Bottom to life. The wigs in particular were excellent. , There was a lovely use of bright colours, stylised makeup choices and playful hair design right through the cast. Overall, this was excellent, imaginative work from the hair, wigs and makeup department which was fully in tune with the madcap tone of the show.

Beneath all of the absurd humour and visual madness of ‘The SpongeBob Musical’ lies a very sincere message about people coming together, celebrating individuality and finding hope even when the world around them appears to be falling apart. Kilmacud Musical Society clearly understood that heart from the outset, and their production never lost sight of it amidst the chaos. What made this production even more memorable was the connection between the performers and their audience. The show celebrates individuality and reminds us that kindness, positivity and community matter. That felt particularly fitting on this occasion. At the end of my notes, I wrote two words: “Pure joy” Looking back on the evening, they still feel entirely appropriate.

Pat McElwain 

Sullivan Adjudicator 2025/2026