After highly successful runs at both the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Southwark Playhouse in 2023, Police Cops: The Musical is back. Promising to be bigger and better than ever, the all singing, all dancing, all guns blazing Police Cops returns to Southwark Playhouse and London audiences can return to the “US 80s” with more madness, more jokes and even more lucky eggs.
USA, 1985: Rookie Police Cop Jimmy Johnson joined the force to protect and serve. But now Jimmy’s in deep, partnered up with a renegade Police Cop and leaned on by a racist Chief. With guns loaded and safety catches off, Jimmy’s on a freewheeling adventure from the mean streets of America to Mexico, where destiny awaits in the form of grizzled ex-Police Cop Juanita Gonzalez.
Police Cops: The Musical features original Police Cops Zachary Hunt as Jimmy, Nathan Parkinson as Police Cop Chief/Hernandez and Tom Roe as ex-Police Cop Harrison with Melinda Orengo as Rosa and Natassia Bustamante as Gonzalez/Billie along for the ride.
Whether he’s quoting Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to win over a crush, fighting crime and solving a mystery or going bare chested because… um… abs… Zachary Hunt is absolutely hilarious. As our middle-aged man in a oversized t-shirt to look younger, Hunt performs leading man Jimmy with an infectious energy. Flipping, rolling and galivanting around the stage Hunt delivers a laugh-a-minute performance with vocals at home on any west end stage.
Tom Roe delivers an equally enchanting performance as down on his luck ex-Police Cop Harrison. Harrison’s rough around the edges charm is played to perfection by Roe as he grumbles his way around the stage flicking cigarettes at random audience members.
Nathan Parkinson has a lot of fun as the ridiculous Police Cop Chief (with real legs) and bad guy Hernandez, often cleverly disguised as a cat. All three Police Cops creators seem fully in their element in this show with both Roe and Parkinson allowing moments of improv describing their childhood sweet shop memories to riotous laughter.
Melinda Orengo gives a stunning performance as the young Rosa, the heart of the story. Uproariously funny throughout, Orengo also delivers a vocal performance that would rival any west end stage at the top of Act Two being a show highlight.
Natassia Bustamante shines as both Gonzalez and Jimmy’s sister-father Billie. Hilariously falling in love with a racist audience member, Bustamante has a lot of fun with over the top ex-Police Cop Chief Gonzalez and her Billie is sweet and unassuming. Both Bustamante and Orengo give energetic, physical performances easily fitting the Police Cops architype.
Delivering tour-de-force performances all round, the cast work exceptionally well as an ensemble. Playing multiple characters throughout, with quick changes galore, they deserved their standing ovation and multiple rounds of applause at the end of the show.
What’s a musical without its songs? With lyrics by Police Cops creators Zachary Hunt, Nathan Parkinson and Tom Roe and music by Ben Adams (Eugenius) the score of Police Cops: The Musical delivers buckets of fun. The score itself combines different styles with a musical theatre flare to deliver hummable tunes, witty lyrics and side-splitting humour. I can’t be the only one gunning for a cast recording?!
Matt Cole’s choreography is creative, slick and completely at home in this type of show and Andrew Exeter’s set and lighting design combine to take audiences on a wild ride from the US 80s to Mexico and beyond.
What makes Police Cops: The Musical special is its clever, irreverent humour. Reminiscent of hit-musicals The Toxic Avenger and Reefer Madness, Police Cops doesn’t take itself too seriously while knowing exactly what it’s doing every step of the way. Just like these cult classics, it’s that rare gem of a show that tickles your funny bone in all the right ways. Polished to perfection, Police Cops: The Musical guarantees an evening of sheer delight, leaving you grinning from ear to ear.
Take a trip back to the “US 80s” and catch Police Cops: The Musical at Southwark Playhouse Elephant, running until April 20th.
Reviewed by Stuart James
