The Tony-nominated cult classic from the makers of Hairspray makes its all-singing, all-dancing UK-premiere at Arcola Theatre.
It’s 1954. Everyone likes Ike, nobody likes communism and Wade “Cry-Baby” Walker is the coolest boy in Baltimore. He’s a bad boy with a good cause – truth, justice and the pursuit of rock and roll.
Enter Allison, a strait-laced rich girl who trades her “Square” boyfriend, Baldwin, for the irresistible allure of Cry-Baby and his misfit crew, the Drapes. As rivalries intensify and hearts break, the city is turned upside-down in a rollicking tale of forbidden love and teen rebellion.
With infectious rockabilly hits like “The Anti-Polio Picnic” and “Girl, Can I Kiss You with Tongue,” Cry-Baby is a politically charged, laugh-out-loud cult classic. Described as “Romeo and Juliet” meets High School Hellcats”, this subversive musical directed by Mehmet Ergen, Artistic Director of Arcola Theatre, promises a toe-tapping, boundary-breaking good time.
Get ready for a wild ride—Cry-Baby is here to steal your heart!
Previous Praise for Cry Baby:
“Campy, cynical and fabulously well crafted. And funny. Madly, outrageously funny.” – The Wall Street Journal
“Pleasantly demented and - deep in the sweet darkness of its loopy heart - more true to the cheerful subversion of a John Waters movie than its sentimental big sister Hairspray.” – Newsday
“Cry-Baby is a musical at its most artful... Waters adds a heady dose of self-awareness to something that often requires it, while also teaching kids how to French kiss and break out of jail in the process.” – VICE