IF you were lucky enough to have begun your literary journey learning the sounds of the English Language with Dr Seuss’s A B C, or counting with One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish and giggling at nonsense in The Cat in the Hat or Fox in Socks, then you will have been waiting with anticipation for the King’s Players’ production of Seussical the Musical.

The moment the audience walked into the Hayward Theatre they knew that they were in for a treat. The scene was set with the familiar red and white swirls of the Cat in the Hat painted on the stage floor, and when the orchestra struck its first chord as The Cat in the Hat (alias Thomas Bateman) walked on the stage in his quite “splendoriphic” (I think Dr Seuss would agree!) costume the audience gave a cheer of delight.

From the opening number ‘Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!’ the audience was captivated and whisked to a magical world where “Anything’s Possible” and “A Person’s a Person, no matter how small”. The singing was superb, with all cast members performing to a West End standard. Listening and watching Mayzie La Bird, Gertrude Mc Fuzz and Sour Kangaroo it was hard to believe these characters were being played by 12 to 13-year olds!

As well as singing, all the characters had the challenge of speaking their spoken lines in an American accent, which they did admirably. With outstanding costumes, scenery and props this was a truly professional production. Who will forget the pink stripy bath or the nest with Horton the Elephant rising into the air – incredible!

As the last notes of ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ were sung and the cast and The Who’s took their final bow, the audience couldn’t help but rise to their feet to show their appreciation of such an enjoyable and undoubtedly memorable performance. Well done to everybody who made Seussical such an outstanding success!

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