Seussical The Musical at MAST Mayflower Studios: 'An absolute blast' | Review

Beyond that, I must confess, my Dr Seuss knowledge is minimal at best.

Consequently, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Seussical the Musical, the latest offering from Southampton Operation Society (SOS Presents). In truth, I was blown away.

The family-friendly musical comedy is mainly based on Horton Hears a Who, Gertrude McFuzz (from Yertle the Turtle) and Horton Hatches the Egg. To Seuss novices like me, you may be lost already!

Rest assured, SOS Presents ensure you never miss a beat, taking you through the crazy plot in effortless style.

The casting is spot on. Jack Oliver shines as The Cat in the Hat, Izzy Li impresses as JoJo and Amy Longland is hilarious as Mayzie LaBird – what voices, too!

It’s impossible not to root for Abigail Jeffery’s, Gertrude. Her performance as the bird with just one feather is a pure delight: comedic and endearing in equal measure. She’s perfectly cast alongside Adam Rush, as Horton the elephant. Rarely off stage, Rush is excellent – a real charmer with outstanding vocals.

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Elsewhere, I loved the harmonies of the Bird Girls (Rebecca Woodhead, Marie Cairns and Freya Golding). This company sure knows how to sing.

The Wickersham Brothers (monkeys) were real crowd-pleasers. Meanwhile, the children in the show did a great job too, as the Junior Cadets and the Baby Kangaroo (Imogen Peaty)

Another stand-out is the choreography, which the entire cast execute expertly throughout. Choreographer Kiri Golding has done a wonderful job. The clever staging, coupled with ingenious use of props, is delightful and hats (feathers, tails and stripes) off to the wardrobe department for this wonderful array of costumes.

At a time when picking up the newspaper or turning on the television can be really dull and depressing, I can think of no better antidote than heading to see this show. Transport yourself to the weird and wonderful world of Dr Seuss, courtesy of this talented society. It is an absolute blast and simply bursting with colour!

It was only the second time I’d seen SOS Presents, but this will be hard to beat. I look forward to seeing their future productions and encourage you to do so too!

Until Saturday.