The Spongebob Musical : Tyne Theatre Productions
Tyne Theatre and Opera House | 18th February 2026
Invited| Review by Stephen Stokoe
It has been quite some time since I have been to the Tyne Theatre and Opera House to review and certainly this was the first time in 2026 and there have been a number of changes to the old lady of Westgate Road. The bistro bar is now a larger hall offering the usual pre- and interval drinks at the welcoming bar and the 1867 café offers a range of pizzas for pre-theatre dining all served with a smile by the attentive hospitality team. Last night they were in top form for a gala opening of the Tyne Theatre Productions’ opening night of Nickelodeon’s The Spongebob Musical.
The story is, as you would expect, an extension of the animated TV series with all the familiar characters coming to life on Newcastle’s iconic grade 1 listed Victorian theatre stage. Spongebob, himself, is played with astonishing accuracy and a huge amount of energy by Ben Stoddart, who is simply wonderful as the permanently positive phylum porifera. Along with his best friend Patrick Star (Zachary Douglas) and the manic depressive wannabe broadway artiste Squidward Tentacles (Corey Clarke) they face certain destruction when Mount Humongous threatens to erupt and destroy their Bikini Bottom Home. Cue daring and scientifically informed escapes (Sandy Cheeks – ,Carol-Ann Mconnellogue) dastardly plots (Sheldon J. Plankton – Finn Younger and karen the Computer – Grace Bain), exploitation (Mr E H Krabs – Sam Honour) with a seasoning of discrimination against squirrels for some reason (honourable mention to Old Man Jenkins – Tomas Carr) and a suitably colourful conclusion.
There have been many animation to real life adaptations in recent years and I find that directors (in this case Sonia Hernandez) have to walk a very fine line to create a look that is real but also cartoonish. Hernandez certainly achieved that under obviously very strict budgetary constraints with the opening sequence using every inch of the auditorium to take the audience deep into Bikini Bottom.
The large orchestra led by musical director Jenn Wagstaff were superb and they were a pleasure to listen to from Bikini Bottom Day to the inevitable Spongebob Theme Song bows. Their professionalism was particularly evident when an errant beach ball took out the strings – sheet music and all – towards the end of the show!
There are some superb performances in this production. I have already mentioned the epnonymous Bob, I have to single out Clarke as the mainly miserable Squidward who managed to stamp is own take on – yet still present a recognisable and well-known character. His rendition of ‘I’m Not a Loser’ in the second act and his manipulation of his multiple appendages earned him deserved whoops, cheers and laughs throughout the production.
Honour is excellent as the avaricious Mr Krebs and his interaction with the other characters, particularly his daughter Pearl (Devon Dolman) works particularly well.
For a production such as this, the costumes have to be spot on and I cannot fault the team in his regard. Every character looked correct and there was clearly a great deal of creative thought put into costume and prop plot. The set was basic and offered height and considered sight levels.
I have a great deal of sympathy for techies when it comes to community theatre. They get a fraction of the tinkering time afforded to their professional and touring counterparts. This was evident in places this evening where the sound balance between the orchestra and the cast was less than optimum. A sound designer (Mike Hanson) can do nothing if, however, half the cast are not given microphones. If they are meant to be heard and some have mics then all of them need mics – budget be damned! The lighting design (Daniel Hurd) covered the entire spectrum of the LX handbook from a little too subtle in places to retina burning psychedelic in others. I have no doubt that tweaks will be made as the week progresses.
There is always a sense of team and family in Tyne Theatre Productions show and this was more than evident in this delightfully zany, and in places, quite bizarre show which ticks every box for fans of the Nickelodeon children’s show but will put a smile on anyone’s face as Spongebob and the residents battle to escape from or save their town under the sea in Bikini Bottom.