Bubble Boy (Queanbeyan Players) - Review

The Sumerians had the story of Gilgamesh
The Greeks had one about their war with Troy.
But we
Lucky we
Blessed we
Have the epic known as Bubble Boy!

Jimmy (Rylan Howard) and the Bubble Boy ensemble. Photo: Damien Magee

So. What. The. Heck... is "Bubble Boy"?

That's the question I, and most likely a lot of you, asked when Queanbeyan Players announced their first show of their 2025 season. Based on the critically polarising and box office bombing 2001 film starring Jake Gyllenhaal, the show is certainly an oddball pick for any theatre company's yearly debut. The musical itself is a vast improvement on the film, yet still there remained the outlandish humour, bizarre characters, and an almost infuriating dissonance between the humour that often made audiences gasp at its crudeness, paired with its almost child-like premise of exploring "the bubble that lies around all of our hearts". 

However, having viewed the show for myself, I breathe a sigh of relief at the purposefulness of this choice of show. These aforementioned elements are not only recognised by both cast and crew, but fully revelled in by them. And boy, revel in these elements they do. Bubble Boy is a show that is truly unlike any other I had ever seen before it.

Director Tijana Kovac absolutely understood the assignment at hand in her directing. The scenes are snappy and feel seamless, with no joke lingered upon for too long. As such, the audience is left almost catatonic in their attempts to keep up with the unending stream of silliness unfolding before them. I applaud Kovac's ability to create an air of bizarrely fun anticipation through the show's committed sense of humour; it consistently challenges the audience's expectations of just how far it will go, and every single time, it wins.

Musical Director Tara Davidson's six-person band perfectly captures the unique style of Bubble Boy's score. The band is fully visible throughout, and it is abundantly clear that they are having just as fun a time playing as the actors are. They get to demonstrate their impressive versatility with some exotic tonal detours in the cases of "Regret" and "It's an Elk", and the rest of their work is well wound and consistent. The reeds in particular, played with finesse by Lauren Duffy, added so much in their snappy inclusions, such as in "Bright and Shiny", which is in of itself an audible time capsule of the fun to be had with this show's score. Davidson has also harnessed some impressive group vocals from their immensely talented ensemble, such as the impressively epic introduction of the opening number.

The choreography of Sally Taylor fully utilises the space of the Belconnen Community Theatre, providing impressive group choreography that absolutely contributed to the energy of the numbers and maintained that same energy established by every prior scene. I appreciated the attention to scale, and the restraint in not making every group number an absolute mosh pit of too many moving bodies; every group number has just the right amount of people assigned to it. No more, no less. Even smaller scale numbers, with their lack of actors to utilise, have enough vibrancy to them that the empty space simply fades away as you watch the actors energetically sell the often aggressively goofy moves Taylor has provided them. At certain points, ensemble positioning did result in the blocking out of focal cast members, but these moments were few and far between, and certainly did not detract from the overall experience.

Chloe (Kay Liddiard). Photo: Damien Magee

On the topic of focal cast members, the performances in this show alone are enough for me to recommend it, if only to get a front row seat to see what it looks like when an actor is having the time of their life in a role. Rylan Howard is gleefully naive and heart-warmingly innocent as the titular Bubble Boy, Jimmy. Howard's singing is superb, with some amazingly sustained falsetto notes that he hits with pin-point accuracy. His tenderness in more quiet ballads, such as "There's a Bubble Around My Heart", is impressively emotional, without detracting too much from the show's overall tone; Howard knows just how seriously to take something, before yanking us back into the comical ride we signed up for. He is well matched by Kay Liddiard's Chloe, who is often the sanest character in the room. She gets her comedic licks in early with "Decontaminate Me", while also wowing with both genuineness and vocal skill in "Falling for the Boy", especially in her landing of some downright impressive vocal riffs in the latter.

Aleisha Croxford is outrageously unhinged in the role of Mrs. Livingston. Her dedication to an absolutely evil characterisation is superbly caricature, yet unfortunately remains very believable. "Stay Clean" is an absolute showstopper of comedic proportions, and Croxford owns every moment of heinousness she can dredge up with this comically vicious character. Conversely, John Potter matches that viscous portrayal with a tenderness of his own in the often outspoken (both literally and figuratively) role of Mr. Livingston. 

The show is also well occupied by a plethora of character roles that each bring a unique energy to every scene. Andrew Taylor and Sam Thomson absolutely steal the show as Mark and Shawn. The characters have an amazing chemistry, and get the most comical movement of the lot, especially in their side-shattering performance of the ridiculous "Something Called Forever". Emilie Martin and April Telfer put up a good fight of their own as the Bright and Shiny cult members Lorraine and Todd; their overly optimistic energy, paired with their subtle cracks of sanity, stole laughs left right and centre. Valeria Arciniega Vidurrizaga's Slim is an absolute riot, on account of the sheer fun she is having in the role, and Roya Safaei had me in fits of breathless laughter in her portrayal of Pushpa. Elsewhere, the ensemble is utilised in more than just singing and dancing; many smaller character roles populate the show and swoop on chances to steal laughs, such as Callan Clarke and Charles Noble's doddering state troopers, Alex McLaughlin's fed up bus driver, and Hannah Miller's unconvinced wedding celebrant, with each one adding to an unstoppable revolving door of ridiculous characters that are never too overbearing, nor detract from each other.

The costumes by Remus Douglas and Tara Davidson range from adequate to absolutely amazing in the case of Mark's wedding attire and Jimmy's Bubble Suit. The set was minimal and abstract, with the existing elements conveniently push-and-pull-able to allow scenes to flow without awkward pauses. Eve Perry's lighting was oftentimes on the ball regarding the show's humour, its role in a running bit relating to the pledge of allegiance being a suitably playful favourite of mine. The sound design by Telia Jensen utilised many slapstick sound effects that enhanced the absurdity of many of the show's more comic moments. And in particular, the backstage crew did a remarkable job of concealing the heftier set pieces in the Belconnen Community Theatre's often exposure-prone sidelines. 

Yes, there were some technical difficulties (including a premature discharge of bubbles that left me scratching my head mid-song), but the cast kept the show moving forward with aplomb, and that, to me, is exemplary of their dedication to this show. Bubble Boy is an experience that is exhaustingly funny, but you absolutely have to be along for that ride from the outset. It wrenched my face into a permanent expression of sheer glee throughout. I laughed, I held my head in my hands, and, more importantly, I enjoyed myself immensely. But that's only because I took it about as seriously as the cast and crew did, in that I didn't take it seriously at all.

Again: it is a show truly unlike any I've seen before. If you're after the next clever and witty comic genius, or a more serious show with a complex message, look elsewhere. But if you want to follow a seemingly simple premise, and subsequently have your mind melted in real time by its almost sadistic commitment to its identity, I implore you to see it, if at least for that new experience. It may surprise you.

Tickets: https://www.queanbeyanplayers.com/bubble-boy-tickets