“You look like a bloated zebra that a lion ripped apart and then didn’t eat ’cause something was obviously wrong with it so it just rotted in the hot African sun …”
Lydia Deetz
The 1988 movie from Tim Burton had the character Beetlejuice on screen for twenty minutes. The stage musical has been extensively rewritten for the Broadway stage and really is not for fans of the movie. Beetlejuice is hardly ever off stage in the musical. However, only having watched part of the movie, I can tell that this sort of humour really isn’t for me in either media.
We are told that Beetlejuice has no filter and can only conclude that he needs one. What David Fynn as Beetlejuice also needs is singing lessons as, on the night I saw the show, he was constantly hitting flat notes unless this was some weird attempt to imitate Michael Keaton’s raspy vocal delivery? Not the best look for the star of a West End musical.
This shows feels that someone has thrown everything into the mix, regardless of the over the top effect of too much comedy, too many sex jokes, too many profanities ignoring a relentless need for some calm and peace.
There are two story lines. Adam and Barbara Maitland (David Hunter and Chelsea Halfpenny) have died not in a car accident as in the movie but they die by electrocution in the house they are renovating. Their later agenda is to save their house from the people who have bought it. A thousand year old ghost named after the red star Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion, but known as Beetlejuice needs his name said three times by a living person to be seen and heard by humans. The Maitlands call on him for help in reclaiming their home from the new residents. They need to learn how to be scary ghosts.
The house is bought by a widower Charles Deeks (Alasdair Harvey) who plans to live there with his new age, crystal reading girlfriend Delia (Aimie Atkinson) and his Goth daughter Lydia (Hannah Nordberg). Lydia is missing her mother and seeks Beetlejuice’s help to contact her in the NetherWorld.
The sets for Beetlejuice are extravagant, the lighting is phenomenal and the special effects and illusions are no expense spared. Fortunately the rest of the cast can sing well but there is no getting away from the frenetic direction when Beetlejuice is onstage. Really the Broadway production, which was plagued by Covid closures, has come to the Prince Edward intact with its American director, designers and choreographer.
Book by Anthony King and Scott Brown
Music and Lyric Eddie Perfect
Directed by Alex Timbers
Starring:
David Hunter
Aimie Atkinson
Alasdair Harvey
Chelsea Halfpenny
Chris Draper
David Fynn
Jemma Alexander
Richard Frame
Robbie McMillan
Irvine Iqbal
Tom Xander
Natasha Cayabyab
Adam Taylor
Hannah Nordberg
Chasity Crisp
Rachel Macdougall
Vanessa Auror Sierra
Samuel Bangs
Harley Emmitt
Catherine McCormick
Kieran Mellish
Elliott Parry
Jacob Smith
Tyler Timmins
Issie Wilman
Director: Alex Timbers
Choreographer: Connor Gallagher
Set Designer: David Korins
Costume Designer: William Ivey Long
Musical Supervisor and Orchestrator: Kris Kukul
Magic and Illusion Designer: Michael Weber
Special Effects: Jeremy Chernick
Puppet Designer: Michael Curry
Lighting Designer: Kenneth Posner
Sound Designer: Peter Hylenssky
Video/projection designer: Peter Nigrini
Booking until 17th April 2027
Theatre:
Prince Edward Theatre
Old Compton Street
London W1D 4HS
Box Office 0344 482 5151
Tube: Leicester Square
Website: https://beetlejuicemusical.co.uk/
Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge
at the Prince Edward on 27th May 2026