Beautiful Little Fool Review A New Musical Steals the Spotlight
- London Theatre Doc
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
★★★★
Some musicals do not arrive in London fully formed so much as already certain of their identity. Beautiful Little Fool, which previously existed only as a concept album, now receives its first staged outing at Southwark Playhouse Borough, and it emerges as a confident, emotionally rich piece of new musical theatre.
This stylish new musical explores the intoxicating rise and devastating unravelling of literary icons F Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Fitzgerald. Framed through the reflective gaze of their daughter Scottie, now older and looking back having outlived them both, the narrative gains emotional distance and clarity, allowing memory, legacy, and damage to sit at the heart of the piece.
With a book by Mona Mansour, Beautiful Little Fool balances sharp wit with moments of aching melancholy. Zelda is rightly placed at the centre of the story, her creativity and identity long overshadowed by her husband. The musical does not shy away from examining the ways her talent was absorbed into his success and her mental health misunderstood. As the show progresses, F Scott fades into the background, a shift that feels deliberate and quietly corrective.
The music, written by Hannah Corneau, is where Beautiful Little Fool finds its most assured voice. From the roaring ensemble opener Nobody Parties Like Us to the tender intimacy of Built to Last, the score moves effortlessly between exuberance and restraint. The songs are rooted firmly in character, allowing emotional shifts to land with precision rather than spectacle. Corneau writes with real confidence, and the melodies linger long after the curtain falls.
The cast delivers strong, emotionally grounded performances throughout. Tony and Olivier nominated Lauren Ward is deeply affecting as the reflective adult Scottie, bringing quiet yearning and emotional weight that anchors the production. Stepping into the role of Zelda for the press night performance, ensemble member Amy Parker offers a layered and compelling portrayal, her Zelda playful, wounded, and fiercely loving. She shines particularly in moments of emotional intensity, and her knowing, love filled smirk becomes a striking visual motif that lingers in the memory. David Hunter plays F Scott Fitzgerald with restraint, his intentionally muted presence feeling appropriate within a piece that consciously shifts focus away from him.
Directed by Michael Greif, the production is guided with a clear understanding of tone and emotional rhythm, but at times feels caught between competing visual ideas. The exposed band and early use of a standing microphone lend the opening moments a concert like immediacy, drawing focus to the score and establishing a sense of excess and performance. It is an effective device, though its purpose becomes less clearly defined as the show progresses. As the narrative deepens, the concert framing fades without being fully replaced, and some moments begin to feel visually cluttered rather than deliberately restrained. While Greif handles performance with assurance, trusting the cast to carry emotional beats without overstatement, greater stillness and clearer spatial intention would allow key moments to breathe.
The set, designed by Shankho Chaudhuri, offers striking ideas, including a looming balcony and a well used bed that suggest a lived in literary household. While the cast frequently move up and down the twin staircases, the balcony itself never feels meaningfully utilised, leaving its dramatic potential largely untapped. With greater selectivity, these ideas could be streamlined into a slicker visual language that better supports the emotional storytelling.
Ultimately, I loved Beautiful Little Fool. This feels like a musical at the very beginning of its life rather than a finished product arriving fully formed, led by a score that is emotionally generous, melodically rich, and quietly devastating in its honesty. In reclaiming Zelda Fitzgerald’s voice, the show offers something both intimate and expansive, a love story, a cautionary tale, and a celebration of creative identity woven together with clarity and care. It trusts its audience, trusts its music, and understands exactly where its power lies. Move over Gatsby, Beautiful Little Fool is in town, and it is stealing the spotlight.
Beautiful Little Fool
Southwark Playhouse Borough
On until 28 February 2026
Book tickets and find performance details here
Comments