Bee-yond a shadow of a doubt: it’s a hit! MTW’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee review

At The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, you don’t just watch the show, you join it through laughter, standing ovations, and maybe even a surprise invite to the stage. This delightfully eccentric musical ran from 22 to 24 May at the Warwick Arts Centre, brought to life by directors Sofia Donovan and Xan Cowell.

Don’t be fooled: this wacky spelling bee isn’t just for overachieving tweens with sweaty palms, or the adults who raise them. It’s a fun-loving smorgasbord of emotion, dance, and apple juice boxes.

For the audience, it is knee-slappingly humorous, but for the characters, the stakes feel sky-high

Run by zany, slightly unhinged adults, this bee follows six oddball kids in a competition. For the audience, it is knee-slappingly humorous, but for the characters, the stakes feel sky-high. Through flashbacks and musical asides, we get a peek into each child’s backstory as they work their way through a series of ludicrous words, some of which are so bizarre they seem invented for this offbeat show. One by one, contestants are eliminated, each exit marked by chaos, tears, and laughter. In Chip’s case, his exit is marked by the hilariously unfortunate number, ‘My Unfortunate Erection (Chip’s Lament)’, performed wonderfully by James Maclean. The rest of the show is packed with squabbles, sabotage, and even a little bit of romance. By the time a winner is crowned, we’ve grown unexpectedly attached to these lovable misfits. Spelling Bee is about childhood, adolescence, and the bittersweet step into adulthood, all wrapped into one clever, chaotic musical.

Even bee-fore the lights go down, you are immersed and thrown into a world of braces, breakouts, and spelling anxiety

As you enter the space, you are charmingly greeted by Rona Lisa Peretti and Douglas Panch; their chemistry is immediately captivating, and certainly their improvised, witty remarks are a standout feature of the musical (Ellie Woolston and Max Green). Even bee-fore the lights go down, you are immersed and thrown into a world of braces, breakouts, and spelling anxiety. The set and props of this show were particularly unbee-lievable, with the set designed by Maz Heald and the props managed by the former alongside additional help from Donovan. The Warwick Arts Centre Studio is known for its notoriously high ceilings, and every inch was used to brilliant effect. Flying hats, balloon drops, and eliminated players confined to seats stage right all helped create the perfect image of a chaotic middle school gym. A special mention goes to ‘The Super Rad Box of Dreams’, whose presence became a character in itself. This box acted as a clever, movable prop vault used for costume changes, visual gags, and even a cameo from Jesus. This box was as if filled with treasures pulled straight from a child’s imagination.

Jay Heading, who played Leaf Coneybear, had a distinct and farcical physicality that brought charm to each number

This whimsical world was brought to life by Movement Director Shona Fernie, whose choreography stung with precision while keeping the all-important childish charisma at the centre. Jay Heading, who played Leaf Coneybear, had a distinct and farcical physicality that brought charm to each number. The ever-changing, vibrant lighting design by Matt Morris only enhanced the playful disco that the entire musical was.

Forget words, this bee’s soundtrack was the real winner. Under the organisation of Musical Director James Dicker and Vocal Director Ellie Croston, the band delivered a vibrant, high energy soundtrack that perfectly matched the buzzing chaos of the Spelling Bee. A standout surprise? The whimsical addition of a flute, played with charm by Izzie Berryman, which added a mischievous sparkle to the score.

The emotional peak came with ‘The I Love You Song’, sung by Woolston, Alessandro Felice and Liv Hibbert. Poignant and powerful, the trio brought raw emotion to the stage. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. They nailed every letter, and note.

Boyce pulled off the challenge of making a prickly character oddly lovable, which is a testament both to his performance and the direction of Donovan and Cowell

‘I Speak Six Languages’, a wonderful insight into Marcy Park’s (Yasmin Singleton) character development, captured the heart of the show. It was smart, snappy, and layered with unexpected feeling. Singleton’s performance was sharp, funny, and moving all at one. The audience responded with laughter, delight, and warm applause, clearly invested in her breakthrough moment.

Another crowd favourite? ‘Magic Foot’. Eoin Boyce’s portrayal of William Morris Barfée’s unorthodox spelling strategy had the audience in stitches. Boyce pulled off the challenge of making a prickly character oddly lovable, which is a testament both to his performance and the direction of Donovan and Cowell. In an interview with Donovan and Cowell, the former remarked that “[They] wanted you [the audience] to fall in love with each character”. Without a doubt, by curtain call, you couldn’t help but adore Barfée’s gelled hair and bright bow-tie, just as much as you did the rag-tag bunch around him.

The Barfée-SchwartzandGrubenierre (Abi Guest) rivalry was a comedic gem. Guest’s animated characterisation of a competitive overachiever was undoubtedly believable, and endlessly entertaining.

Spelling Bee was a beautifully executed production: refined, professional, and overwhelmingly charming, from the whimsical marketing (managed by Anoushay Dar and designed by Brandon Lipsombe-Holt) to the sharp organisation of the producers (Polly Virgoe and Joe Licence). This show is a testament to the talent, strength, and dedication of a passionate team. My only qualm was the price of the tickets, perhaps too steep for a mainly student audience. Nonetheless, with a show so jam packed with heart, humour, and just about everything you could wish for, there is no doubt that Spelling Bee was an utter triumph. You could say that it ‘spells’ like success.