Beetlejuice The Musical
Prince Edward Theatre
After years of hoping and waiting for Beetlejuice The Musical to transfer from Broadway to the West End, it felt surreal finally seeing it live on stage in London.
For me, Beetlejuice had already become one of those rare shows that lives in your brain long before you ever step inside the theatre. I had listened to the original Broadway cast album on repeat for nearly six years, so hearing those opening notes live for the first time was electric.
My introduction to Beetlejuice The Musical came during COVID when I watched a very blurry YouTube bootleg (sorry), and was completely hooked immediately. I went down a complete rabbit hole trying to consume every interview, behind-the-scenes clip, and performance I could find because I instantly fell in love with the show’s humour, characters, and songs.
So naturally, my expectations for the West End production were extremely high.
Thankfully, Beetlejuice The Musical absolutely delivers.
What Is Beetlejuice The Musical About?
Written by Scott Brown and Anthony King, and directed by Alex Timbers, Beetlejuice The Musical follows Lydia Deetz, a gothic teenager struggling with grief after losing her mother. When she moves into a haunted house with her father and stepmother-to-be, she encounters recently deceased couple Adam and Barbara Maitland — and, unfortunately for everyone involved, the wildly chaotic demon Beetlejuice.
What follows is complete supernatural chaos filled with ghosts, exorcisms, giant sandworms, fourth-wall breaks, and some of the funniest audience interactions currently happening in the West End.
The Cast Shine On Stage
Of course, the real centrepiece is Beetlejuice himself, and David Fynn is a powerhouse. His relentless energy and razor-sharp comic timing make the show what it is. His vocals are incredibly strong — handling the rapid-fire, rhythm-heavy numbers with ease while still keeping all the comedy and character work intact. He is on stage almost constantly, breaking the fourth wall, improvising with the audience, and throwing out jokes that somehow shouldn’t work in a musical, yet they consistently do.
Hannah Nordberg as Lydia brings real emotional honesty to the role, and her vocals are outstanding. She manages to make Lydia’s grief subtle yet powerful, and gives the story a depth that sneaks up on you. It is this performance that keeps the show grounded in some sort of normalcy, even when everything around her is completely unhinged and supernatural.
Adam and Barbara Maitland are also a real highlight – played by David Hunter and Chelsea Halfpenny. Both actors bring warmth, an awkward charm, and beautifully controlled vocals – their chemistry is genuinely touching as well as funny. It would be easy for Adam and Barbara to get lost in the shadow of Beetlejuice’s chaos, but they never do. Their attempts to “haunt” the Deetz family are hilarious, but there is also something really touching about watching them navigate the afterlife together, slowly forming a bond with Lydia in the process.
Beetlejuice’s Humour Is Unmatched
One of the biggest strengths of Beetlejuice The Musical is how alive it feels. The show constantly plays with the audience, and the improvisational humour keeps every performance feeling unique.
At the performance I attended, absolutely nobody was safe from Beetlejuice’s jokes. James Corden, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and even Paddington all became targets during various ad-libs, and every single reference completely broke the audience. The laughter throughout the theatre was almost nonstop.
That chaotic unpredictability is exactly what makes this musical so entertaining. Beetlejuice himself feels less like a traditional musical theatre lead and more like an unleashed supernatural stand-up comedian.
The West End Production Is Visually Incredible
Visually, Beetlejuice is everything I hoped it would be.
David Korins’ set design constantly transforms around the cast, shifting between gothic haunted-house aesthetics, dark and mysterious netherworld chaos, and full-scale supernatural spectacle. It is bold, fast-moving, and highly imaginative, and creates a surreal, cartoon-like world that perfectly matches the show’s dark comedy and supernatural energy.
Kenneth Posner’s lighting design is a visual feast, and immerses the audience into Beetlejuice’s world. Dramatic contrasts, vivid neon colours, and eerie shadows embrace the gothic atmosphere. Flashes of green and purple, sharp spotlights, and sudden lighting changes help to create both the spooky and comedic moments, adding to the show’s lively, supernatural feel.
William Ivey Long’s costume design is wildly imaginative, perfectly capturing Tim Burton’s gothic, offbeat aesthetic. From Beetlejuice’s iconic striped suit to Lydia’s dark, layered wardrobe and the surreal Netherworld ensemble looks, the costumes are bold, eccentric, and packed with personality.
There is always something happening — hidden visual jokes, special effects, puppetry, moving scenery — and the production never loses momentum, which makes it a joyous rollercoaster from beginning to end.
Hearing the Songs Live Was Worth the Wait
As someone who has had the cast album permanently lodged in my brain for years, finally hearing songs like “Dead Mom”, “The Whole ‘Being Dead’ Thing”, and “Say My Name” performed live was beautiful.
Certain moments felt almost concert-like because the audience reaction was so huge. You could tell so many people in the theatre had also spent years obsessing over this musical online before finally getting the chance to see it in person.
Eddie Perfect’s score contains absolutle gems, and is funny, emotional, and completely addictive — exactly like the show. Each song is a hit, and will be in your head long after you leave the theatre.
Final Thoughts on Beetlejuice The Musical in the West End
Beetlejuice The Musical is loud, chaotic, messy, self-aware, occasionally completely unhinged, and absolutely refuses to take itself seriously – and that is exactly why it works.
Underneath all the supernatural chaos, adult jokes, and absurd comedy is a genuinely heartfelt story about grief, loneliness, and finding connection in unexpected places.
After spending nearly six years listening to the soundtrack and desperately hoping for a West End transfer, I can safely say the wait was worth it.
Hilarious, heartfelt, and visually bonkers — Beetlejuice The Musical is exactly the kind of theatrical chaos the West End needs.
Beetlejuice the Musical (the Musical, The Musical) is haunting the West End until 17th April 2027
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reviewer: Helena Featherstone
Photos: Johan Persson