Review: 'Newsies'

 by Tabitha Richardson

Last Saturday, I was treated with tickets to see the Olivier award-winning musical Newsies- based on the newsboy strike of 1899, where a group of newsies declared a strike against the papers of Joseph Pulitzer, after they raised the prices of papers by 20%.

Although the journey on the underground to get to the North of London was quite tedious and sweltering, my father and I were instantly cooled by the air conditioning that hit us the second the Troubadour Wembley Park theatre doors opened. Much unlike your ordinary West End Regency theatre, it was spacious and had a bar with a surplus of seating - the building even had ample female facilities! We were later informed that this was because it was an old studio converted to a black box theatre that they used to film the X-Factor in, so there was plenty of seating in the auditorium and it even meant the stage was in the round. In my opinion there wasn’t a bad view in the room, which made the ticket pricing seem very reasonable!

Even before the show, it was an immersive experience; you’d walk under scaffolding into the sound of 1890’s New York. In videos I’ve seen on social media, there are normally cast walking round and interacting with one another pre-show, but for whatever reason, they didn’t on this particular day.

As the lights went down, the cast appeared from everywhere; in front of you, behind you or even above you- one cast member even entered on a zip wire. They pirouetted and box jumped around the stage about the need to strike against their newspaper supplier so they weren’t exploited, which is a rather topical theme in the present day UK, a factor I believe could be related to their London success. My neck did, however begin to grow tired throughout the show, due to the fact I was overwhelmed as there was so much going on around me. The rather large ensemble had complex and demanding choreography that they executed perfectly, which involved lots of interactions among the cast, really giving it the communal feel, proving they deserved the Olivier for their choreo. The spectacle also featured flying newspapers, swinging lights, and slides- needless to say I was blown away!

I was also astounded at the young and energetic cast that were permanently in action throughout the entire three hours. In addition, the principal characters produced effortless vocals and the acrobatic ensemble treated every dance with 110% enthusiasm.  

This production was truly one of the best re-imaginings of a show I’ve ever seen; the use of props and physical theatre gave the show a new depth compared with its predecessor, the Broadway version (2011-17). This new version gave the grit and harshness of being poor in 1890’s New York, giving it a maturity that most Disney musicals don’t have. Based on the recorded original I watched many times on Disney+  during lockdown, I also noticed they balanced the ensemble in this production by increasing the female cast and giving them male roles, and that they prioritised professional dancing over vocals, which is a risky gamble but they made it work.

In summary, I believe Newsies is one of the most ‘must-see’ musicals in London right now and for good reason- it is very much at the forefront of modern musical theatre. From its venue to its staging, everything is new and exciting. I would strongly recommend the show for anyone of any age as it truly is an inclusive and welcoming environment. I urge you to catch it before it closes in August and judge for yourself, like I did, to see if it deserved their Olivier.