REVIEW: Tarzan The Musical at National Theatre

“Here, you have everything.” 

Tarzan at the National Theatre is a nostalgic, joyous celebration of belonging. Adapted closely from the 1999 Disney film, fans of the original Phil Collins score can breathe easy knowing this story is in safe hands with this remarkable team. 

The defining feature of this production has to be the unwavering commitment from everyone involved to embodiment of character. With an ensemble upside-down as often as they were right-side-up, the movement, dance and animal work never faltered, with an attention to detail so intricate you believed them every bounce of the way. 

We experienced Joshua Russel’s Tarzan balancing a bipedal body with his gorilla upbringing in awe. We mourned for his deeply human attempts to become what he “should” be. I was particularly moved by his powerful rendition of ‘Strangers Like Me’, true to the original in tone and clarity but with the added emotional desperation of a character who has always felt alone. 

I couldn’t imagine a more suited cast for this show. Not a single moment of the show was phoned-in from any of the cast, the ensemble leaving everything on the stage physically in order to bring this story to life. I’ll be fascinated to see it again in a few weeks to see how their bodies are holding up. Vocally, every principle was perfectly cast, bringing distinct timbre and style to these beloved roles without missing a beat emotionally. 

Photography by Cameron Grant

Among all the excellent performances, Sarah Murr as Kala is irreplaceable in her warmth. She is everyone's mother. Emily Robinson’s Jane instantly redefined the tone of the show, existing in an exciting comedic space completely different to anything we’d experienced. The chemistry between both the leading couples of the show was palpable. 

It was wonderful to see an original Australian staging of a Disney show, and the team behind this production did a beautiful job centring the talent of the cast when creating the visual spectacles of the piece. An obvious, but necessary, conceit in this musical is managing safety in aerial work. We were unfortunately held up multiple times throughout the show at the mercy of carabiners which wouldn’t come undone. It’s hard not to watch the guy who just descended from the ceiling, but it’s harder yet to pull focus from someone with their back turned, fiddling with their loincloth.  

“Why are you threatened by anyone different from you?”

As one of the less frequently produced Disney musicals, I found it fascinating to see what holds up when elements of Disney magic (read: budget) are stripped back. Tarzan in particular is a story steeped in values and ethics that transcend contemporary children’s media. Underneath the humour and bounce, thematically this show covers all bases from grief and family, to humanity’s impact and legacy in the eyes of the natural world. By making humankind the “other”, the story of Tarzan reminds us that in this world we are all visitors. Tarzan’s moral lessons outlast any flying set pieces or corporation ownership. It’s important theatre for children and adults alike. 

Theatrically, the musical adaptation doesn’t try to add too much to the movie, maintaining the score integrity of all the classic songs. Most of the additional songs unfortunately lacked the heart of the movie score, trying too hard to funnel Collins’ style into musical theatre exposition. Act 1 featured several soliloquy numbers which seemed to exist just to add length to the act, which ran for only 50 mins. Act 2 was more vibrant with the added variation of the humans’ stylistic and plot conflicts. 

Tarzan is a show that beautifully balances fun with rawness. Learning what it is to be human from a family of human gorillas translates dynamically onto the stage. See this show to rejoice in human dexterity, challenge our empathy, and marvel at the odds we’re here. I already have tickets to see it again.

4 Stars

Catch Tarzan at the National Theatre until September 14. Tickets here!