The World Premiere of Beautiful Little Fool shows the life of F. Scott Fitzgerald, wasn’t quite the party his books alluded to.
Telling the story of F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda, through the eyes of their daughter Scottie, the world premiere musical Beautiful Little Fool is now playing at London’s Southwark Playhouse.
The Story
Set on Scottie’s 48th birthday, a milestone that outlived both of her parents, she revisits their personal archives and relives the memories of her childhood. But this is not the story of the Fitzgeralds you may think you know.
F. Scott Fitzgerald was not the assured literary genius that history often portrays and Zelda was far more than just a muse. Her diaries fuelled much of her husband’s work, yet she received none of the credit. This erasure, coupled with the pressures of their tumultuous life, contributed to her mental decline, eventual institutionalisation and tragic death at the hands of a failing health system.
Written by Broadway Elphaba actress Hannah Corneau, Beautiful Little Fool offers a fresh perspective on a writer whose work has been revisited countless times in recent years, most notably The Great Gatsby, which has enjoyed numerous adaptations from traditional musicals to immersive productions.
The Cast
David Hunter steps into the role of F. Scott Fitzgerald, replacing Declan Bennett who withdrew early in the process due to a professional commitment. With an impressive CV including One Man, Two Guvnors, Once, Kinky Boots and more recently 13 Going On 30, David is a seasoned musical theatre performer and the production feels in very safe hands with him at its centre.
SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT: David Hunter – From Warrington to the West End
Understudy Amy Parker is currently performing the role of Zelda while Hannah Corneau recovers from injury. Huge credit must be given to Amy who delivers a stunning performance, showcasing powerful vocals and reminding audiences just how vital understudies are in keeping theatre alive night after night.
Lauren Ward (Matilda, Dear Evan Hansen, Stranger Things: The First Shadow) is superb as Scottie, the show’s narrator, attempting to make sense of her fractured childhood and the early deaths of her famous parents.
Completing the company are David Austin-Barnes (The Book of Mormon US tour) as ensemble and cover for F. Scott and Jasmine Hackett (Muriel’s Wedding, Leicester Curve; Toys the Musical, Watford) as swing, currently appearing in the ensemble.
The Creative Team
Music and Lyrics by Hannah Corneau
Book by Mona Mansour
Directed by Michael Greif
Orchestrations by Adam Rothenberg
Musical Direction by Jerome van den Berghe
Set Design by Shankho Chaudhuri
Costume Design by Laura Hopkins
Lighting Design by Ben Stanton
Sound Design by Domnic Bilkey
Casting by Harry Blumenau
Visually, the production is beautifully realised. Rows of books and boxes overflowing with half-scribbled pages create a striking impression of life inside the home of a troubled writer. The visible band is a welcome touch and the winding staircase adds depth and dimension to the space.
Beautiful Little Fool is a compelling piece of theatre, filled with moments of musical beauty. While there are a few minor dips in momentum midway through, the show builds steadily towards a soaring and emotionally powerful climax, underscoring just how important it is that this story is being told.
★★★★
West End Wilma
Photos by Pamela Raith
Beautiful Little Fool is playing at Southwark Playhouse until Saturday 28 February 2026
Accessible Performances
Captioned performance: Wednesday 28 January 7pm
More about the cast of Beautiful Little Fool
David Hunter
David is best known for his lead roles in multi award-winning West End Musicals, having played Dr Pomatter in WAITRESS (Original West End Cast, Adelphi), Charlie Price in KINKY BOOTS (Adelphi), Guy in ONCE (Phoenix) and Henry in THE TIME TRAVELLER’S WIFE (Original West End Cast, Apollo).
Film and TV credits include: NATIVITY 3 (Mirrorball), HOLBY CITY (BBC), DOCTORS (BBC) and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s TV talent show SUPERSTAR (ITV) where he reached the semi-finals of the competition.
Amy Parker
Amy is currently in the world premiere production of Beautiful Little Fool, playing Mother & others, and covering the leads of Zelda & Scottie). She was recently seen in the world premiere of 13 Going On 30 at Manchester’s Opera House. Prior to this she reprised her role of Rose in The Miner Birds at the New Vic Theatre. Previously she appeared in Ride at the Charing Cross Theatre. Amy can be seen on the TV commerical for financial services company, Novuna.
Hannah Corneau
Hannah Corneau made her Broadway debut as Elphaba in Wicked on Broadway. She most recently starred as Elsa in Frozen this July at The Muny. She has also starred as Edna St. Vincent Millay in the critically- acclaimed Transport Group production of Renascence.
Lauren Ward
Lauren Ward originated the role of Miss Honey in the Stratford-Upon-Avon, West End, and Broadway productions of the musical Matilda, and was nominated for both the Tony and Olivier Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance. She was nominated for her second Olivier Award for Dear Evan Hansen. She recently played Virginia Creel in Stranger Things: The First Shadow in the West End.
