King of Pangea
Rating: ★★★★
Venue: King’s Head Theatre, London
Cast: Alfie Blackwell, Dan Burton, Mark Curry, Sophia Ragavelas, Emily Tang and Tayt Joshua Silvester-Stoller

Welcome to the island of Pangea—where the sun never sets, the house band keeps the beat, and the loved ones you’ve lost could be right around the corner.

When Sam Crow faces the loss of his relentlessly hopeful mother, he escapes to the only place that makes sense - the imaginary island of his childhood. With help from a wise-cracking prophet, a swaggering ship captain, and a star-gazing poetess, Sam sets off on a journey to claim his sovereignty… if he can only put the pieces back together in time.

Up for an epic adventure? Then head to King’s Head Theatre for the new musical King of Pangea.

The musical follows the story of Sam Crow, a young man who is struggling with the grief of losing his mother after a long battle with cancer. In the depths of his despair, he stumbles upon a map to an island his mother used to tell him stories about, a holy land where he would find the missing piece of the puzzle. Swept up in an epic adventure, Sam meets an array of colourful characters on his journey to find the island and navigate through the pain and loss.

Writer Martin Storrow has created a show that deals with grief, its content is hard-hitting and heartfelt, yet it does not feel heavy. Tears may be shed, yet it’s warm and whimsical. Based on his own story it is clear that the story is rooted in truth while also being fantastical.

The cast is simply outstanding. Alfie Blackwell as Sam carried the show with a nonchalant ease. Even more impressive is that this marks his professional debut, before having graduated from the notable drama school Arts Ed. Alfie has a bright future ahead; a star on the rise. If you love seeing young talent then you’ll be impressed by the professional debut of Tayt Joshua Silvester-Stoller as young Sam, who thrills with his charm but also mature presence on stage. Mark Curry stands out as the charismatic Elijah. From his entrance itself, it was clear he was going to be a cool character. Sometimes the comedic relief character can come off as forced and caricatured, yet Mark delivers jokes with naturalism and provides a comfort mentor. Dan Burton is a joy to watch in his ability to play both Arthur Crow, a broken man after the loss of his wife and also the flamboyant Captain in Pangea. Sophia Ragavelas brings a touching and vulnerable performance as Celia Crow, struggling through her cancer treatment while also attempting to remain strong for her family. Emily Tang as Amy/Maya has limited stage time but captivates in the time she is given.

The production does well to utilise what the venue of the King’s Head can offer. Carly Brownbridge’s set design is simple yet effective. While it’s a one-stage set its dynamic ability keeps it visually interesting. The drawers in the stairs provide an air of mystery, never knowing what prop a character is going to pull from it. A simple pulley system transforms the stage into a ship. The moving panels reminiscent of continental drift can transport the audience to Pangea with minimal effort. It strikes just the right balance of the resources available and allows the audience to use their imagination. It’s easy to visualise such a show on a larger production scale, even on the West End, and envisage the spectacle that it could one day be.

For a new musical, the book and music are strong, with mesmerising melodies, flowing dialogue and lovely lyrics. The music has folksy elements, but is ultimately hard to pin down into one certain genre. ‘The Curriculum’ was a particular highlight, with its fast-paced hilarious rapping, it was reminiscent of the hit musical ‘Hamilton’.

The musical currently runs at 90 minutes with no interval, and as it stands, it works. No narrative point is missed in an attempt to rush through and fit in the story. However, some character relationships and motivations felt slightly underdeveloped and could be fleshed out to provide the audience with more time to connect and care about the character's fate. Sam’s relationships both with Amy and Maya occur at a rapid pace. Going from first meeting to a physical or official relationship within one song. Emily Tang delivers beautiful moments full of grit and sensitivity here, yet more development of her characters would be appreciated; if only to not show off more of her talent. Elijah’s desire to pass on after living as a prophet for 1000 years is clear, and his song ‘Everyone I Love’ was clearly an audience favourite, yet the payoff fell slightly flat due to not getting enough time to truly feel his struggle. All of these could easily be remedied with a longer run time and would enable the characters more time to grow, fail and learn in order to reach their goals in the end.

King of Pangea holds much potential and promise; I hope this story grows and think it's one to watch to see where it goes next. For now, be sure to check it out, it’s playing until the 6th of July.

You can book tickets to King of Pangea, here.

Review by Jude

**photo credit: Steve Gregson**