For over a decade, Michael Cullen, more commonly known as ‘Speedo Mick’, has clad a pair of blue speedos and pushed his body and mind to the extreme: completing marathons, cross-Channel swims and walks that even the thought of could overwhelm the standard human. Raising over £1 Million pounds, Cullen continues to dedicate his time to helping others through his foundation, ‘The Speedo Mick Foundation’, more information can be found here. 

To cement Cullen’s legacy further, writer, John May and composer, Chumbawamba’s Boff Whalley have created a musical to tell Cullen’s story, from a ‘homeless addict’ to a fundraiser and charity advocate. 

The concept of this new musical with its themes of community and resilience, along with the well-versed and talented cast and creatives, should be a sure-fire success- but, unfortunately, the repetitive book and, at times, incoherent sound design make watching the production, which although only two hours in length, feel more like an epic. This isn’t helped by the clock on the set showing the actual time- take notes from Vegas casinos, don’t let your patrons know what time it is. 

This isn’t to say that the individual elements are bad; however, the piece feels somewhat under rehearsed (especially in the choreography and aforementioned sound departments); lacking cohesion which could really bind all its components together. Even with the best book and orchestrations in the world- if its delivery is indistinct, it becomes difficult to fully appreciate and enjoy.  

The beginning of the play immerses the audience into a visual comic book scene (with AV design from Jamie Jenkin) to introduce Speedo Mick- exquisitely played by Royal Court legend, Paul Duckworth who, as usual, brings the comedy in bucket-loads. Had the theme of the comic-strip been continued throughout, along with the high-quality projection and design, this could truly have been something special. However, we only revisit this theme once more during a set change, occurring minutes before the final scene and using the Court’s revolve. This, again, is a great concept- though its execution feels cheap given the naturalism of the previous set’s design (Ellie Light) used throughout which is authentic and detailed. One could read into the artistic juxtapositions which could be at play here, but I’m unsure if that level of depth has been considered- I hope to be wrong. 

It goes without saying that the cast, who not only multi-role but are also majority actor-musicians, give it their all. A particular mention should go to Timothy Roberts, whose vocals (when his mic is turned on) echo around the theatre during emotionally charged moments, supporting the gorgeous vulnerability shown by Polly Lister as Mick’s wife throughout.  

Since watching the production, I haven’t been able to get some of the original songs out of my head- a sign of a decent score. This being said, if the show is to have further life beyond this run, some fine-tuning wouldn’t go amiss. 

Speedo Mick plays at Liverpool’s Royal Court until 5th July, further details and booking can be found here.

Tickets received in exchange for an honest review.

Photography by Andrew AB.