Amelie the Musical at The Criterion Theatre

Amélie is an extraordinary young woman who lives quietly in the world, but loudly in her mind. She covertly improvises small, but surprising acts of kindness that bring joy to those around her. But when a chance at love comes her way, Amélie realises that to find happiness she’ll have to risk everything and say what’s in her heart.

Come be inspired by this imaginative dreamer who finds her voice, discovers the power of connection and sees possibility around every corner. In these uncertain times, Amélie is someone to believe in.

Amelie the Musical follows the same plot as the cult classic film of the same name.  Just like the film, it melds romance, quirkiness, and friendships to bring together a story of incredible mischievous eccentricity and joy.

This quintessentially French story hits the right ambiance right from the start when the show opens with the whimsical number The Flight of the Blue Fly, setting up the theme of the otherwise known butterfly effect.  As the story unfolds we soon see Amelie’s small actions changing the lives of friends and strangers around her.  This musical is filled with quirky humor and romanticism abound.

In principle the central plot in Amelie could be filled with stereotypes, being a ‘boy meets girl’ story, yet somehow all these cliches are avoided and it takes the audience on a true journey.  The play proceeds in an unexpected way, often verging on the bizarre, but always in the most delightful of ways.  The multitasking cast performed wonderfully throughout without exception, with every character being unique.  The use of puppetry is really masterful, as are the set and score which all add to the total French and surreal feeling of this performance.

Whilst the ending is a tad flat compared to the pace and plot before it, the rest of the show makes up for it with its whimsical look at life and human relationships.  Amelie the musical is on at The Criterion Theatre until the 25th of September, tickets start from just £13.75 when booking through the London Theatre Direct website.

Tickets were gifted in exchange for a review, all words and opinions are my own.  This post contains affiliate links.