Review: Shucked (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre)

Review by Daz Gale

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cast your minds back to 2023, an entire Prime Minister and Pope ago. It was announced that Shucked, fresh from its success on Broadway, would open in London in 2024. And then there was nothing. One year later than expected and in a completely different setting than had been initially announced, London audiences can finally get a taste of the musical as it makes its UK premiere, kicking off Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s 2025 season. The question is, would British audiences find this corny musical just as sweet as our American counterparts did?

Premiering in 2022 and running on Broadway from 2023 to 2024, Shucked is set in the town of Cob County as Maizy and Beau prepare to get married. All seems fine until the corn that protects their small community starts to die. In a bid to save the town, Maizy heads to Tampa, where she meets a stranger who seemingly holds the key to saving the corn and the town, but with attractions growing like a harvest and kernels of evolving relationships playing out, would there be a happy ending for the residents of Cob County?

Yes, this is a musical about corn - if that doesn’t feel like the most substantial thing in the world, perhaps you should put something else on your plate. Unlike the food, though, the content of this musical is substantial enough to completely fill you up. It might be silly and even downright stupid at times but it is delightfully so. With its tongue firmly in its cheek, Shucked has one intention and one intention only - to make its audience beam the widest smiles they can (and hope they have no corn stuck in their teeth) - to that respect, this is a job well done.

The man responsible for this laughter is one Robert Horn, the writer of the book for Shucked, relentless in its zingers, firing on all cylinders, and rarely missing. The comedy in this musical hits you from the opening moments, and the laughs don’t stop coming. Brilliant wordplay, clever puns, and the most ridiculous one-liners I have ever heard had me howling with laughter consistently. The storyline is fittingly corny but would you expect anything else? With absurdity running rife, exaggerated characterisations and some great physical comedy, this is the funniest musical of the year.

Jack O’Brien’s direction takes the comedy genius of Horn’s writing and effortlessly translates it to the stage - a very different stage in this open-air setting than the show is used to from its US productions, though this is cleverly referenced at the climax of Act One. Just as the setting Fiddler On The Roof worked beautifully nestled in the beautiful space of Regent’s Park last year, so too does Shucked, with the bookended cornfield on stage effortlessly blending into the surroundings. O’Brien’s direction doesn't just match Horn’s writing in its comedic nature, but it has a knack of knowing the best way to translate the show to an audience, and a British audience at that. Nothing has been lost in translation from its trip across the Atlantic and the result is a resounding success.

Scott Pask’s set design thrills throughout, playing the Open Air Theatre stage for all of its strengths and charming with its use of props. It is through the choreography that really makes it come alive, however, and that is down to Sarah O’Gleby. There are some truly mesmerising sequences to be found in Shucked, not just comedic but enthralling through their precision and creativity. The most notable moment comes from the innovative, surprising and continually captivating sequence that is ‘Best Man Wins’ in the show’s second Act - a huge showstopper of a number, performed phenomenally and receiving the longest applause of the evening.

A cast of some of the UK’s finest talents have been assembled for this production of Shucked. Monique Ashe-Palmer and Steven Webb manage the narrative structure as the two storytellers, popping up in various ways and inserting themselves into the story as multiple characters. Webb is particularly scene-stealing throughout, dominating the early portion of the show and once again proving himself to be one of the most charismatic comedic actors in the West End. He was a joy to watch in last year’s Here You Come Again and here, he is even better - with a permanent smile on his face and a fourth wall he refuses to acknowledge, he is our window into this mad world, and ensures a connection with the audience from the opening moments.

Sophie McShera proves to be a solid leading lady as Maizy, giving a confident performance and never putting a foot wrong. Her two love interests come from a blisteringly good Matthew Seadon-Young as Gordy and a knockout turn from Ben Joyce, delivering a career-best performance as Beau. Both get many a moment to shine, showcasing their comedic and acting talents, with Joyce delivering an energetic and frenetic performance in the aforementioned ‘Best Man Wins’.

Another standout in the cast is Keith Ramsay as the hilarious Peanut. Getting some of the funniest moments of the show, his delivery of the lines is impeccable, with Ramsay’s seriousness in the most random and ridiculous things you have ever heard making the punchlines all the more funny for it. Georgina Onuorah once again proves what an incredible performer she is in the role of Lulu. It’s a big role and one that has some big shoes to fill after her Broadway counterpart won a Tony Award for it, but she manages it not just effortlessly, but exquisitely. Her sassiness, and differing dynamics with both McShera’s Maizy and Seadon-Young’s Gordy make for some of the more joyous moments of the show and demonstrate what an amazing performer she truly is.

The last thing to mention with Shucked is the songs. With music and lyrics  from Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, they match Horn’s writing in their comedic nature but, crucially, are strong songs in themselves as well. The strongest come from three knockout songs that are undoubtedly the best in the show, all performed back to back in the show’s first Act. Sophie McShera had her strongest moment with a fabulous ‘Woman Of The World’ swiftly followed by Ben Joyce’s breathtaking performance of ‘Somebody Will’, showcasing vocals so incredible, my goosebumps has goosebumps. The last of these three numbers is perhaps the one that is now most known from the show, and that would be ‘Independently Owned’. What Georgina Onuorah does with this number is otherworldly. Spine-tinglingly good, if there was a roof at Open Air Theatre, she would have truly blown it off. A masterclass in how to deliver a number as rousing as this and a true highlight, not just of the night, but the entire year in musical theatre.

Hopes were high for this production of Shucked - it was certainly at the top of my list of shows I was most excited to see this year, having not caught it on Broadway. Needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed. More than that, I was completely blown away. The only way I can describe this show is truly a-maize-ing. If last week’s The Comedy About Spies is the funniest play of the year, Shucked is undoubtedly the funniest musical of the year. There must be something in the water when it comes to new shoes opening this month, but Shucked delivers on such a level, the results are truly cob-smacking. If you are looking for a much-needed bit of escapism and a good laugh, this is the perfect show for you in one of the most joyous shows you are likely to see this year. It may be corny but boy is it sweet - when it comes to new musicals opening this year, Shucked really is the cream of the crop.

Shucked plays at Open Air Theatre until 14th June. Tickets from https://allthatdazzles.londontheatredirect.com/musical/shucked-tickets

Photos by Pamela Raith