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Wine time: The Frogs - Southwark Playhouse

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For a show called The Frogs, there isn’t much amphibian activity in the piece. But being a show with music by Stephen Sondheim, you could be mistaken for thinking it’s a critical theatrical piece. But like Sondheim’s final musical playing at the National Theatre, while it may not be a musical that fills you with provocative thoughts, it’s a fast-paced romp through hell and back to save the world for the sake of arts. With rousing choruses, thrilling choreography and plenty of cheap laughs, what more can you want from the theatre? It’s currently playing at the Southwark Playhouse (Borough) . There isn’t much to the plot, except that Dionysus (Dan Buckley), disillusioned by the state of a divided world, and his sidekick and slave, Xanthias (Kevin McHale), cross the river Styx to the underworld to find a great writer who they can return to the world to teach the world about life. He has his mind set on bringing back George Bernard Shaw until he hears the poetry of Shakespeare.  This v...

Ripe and appealing: Bananaman @Swkplay

What’s striking about Bananaman is how the cast are determined to make sure you’ll have a good time with this incredibly silly yet appealing show. No joke is too old or no sight gag is overlooked. It’s currently playing at the Southwark Playhouse.

Along the way they also sing a few good tunes in this new musical by Leon Paris. You’re likely to leave the theatre humming the song Bananaman on your way home. Possibly because it is sung so many times.

You don’t need to know the comic or backstory as the show spends an awful long time on the hero’s origins. But once that’s out of the way there is a sweet sendup of superheroes. A comet knocks out gawky Eric Wimp (Mark Newnham) one evening. And so after eating a banana he turns into a dopey, pompous muscle-bound superhero Bananaman (Matthew McKenna).

There are scene-stealing performances by Mark Pickering as Dr Gloom and Carl Mullaney as General Blight. They have evil plans that Bananaman must stop. But they’re so good (and so funny) at being evil you’ll secretly wish they succeed.

The production keeps the cartoon-like quality with its cardboard style sets, costumes and lighting. Itslips up with its length and not giving some of the supporting characters enough to work with. Jodie Jacobs as the crow seems underused and it’s hard to work out just what sort of heroine Emma Ralston should be as Fiona. If Bananaman is so stupid surely she should be saving the day?


But its hard not to like a show that takes the piss out the sanctimonious drivel that you see from the likes of DC and Marvel comics. And there’s a talking crow and an evil villain that serves biscuits to his henchmen. You won’t see that in Justice League!

Directed by Mark Perry, Bananaman is at the Southwark Playhouse until 20 January.

🍌🍌🍌🍌

Photos by Pamela Raith

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