Book by Robert Mark Kamen

Composition and Lyrics by Drew Gasparini

Directed by Amon Miyamoto

Review by Laurie Kemmett

The Theatre Royal

A delicate bonsai tree. Tinkling wind chimes. Fragile shoji screens. You’d be forgiven for believing you were in feudal Japan – instead, this is the Theatre Royal in Glasgow, and you’re about to watch The Karate Kid: The Musical.

Nostalgic films-turned-musicals are having a big old moment in the theatre scene recently – looking at you, Legally Blonde, Mean Girls, Back to the Future, Devil Wears Prada and more. The Karate Kid is no exception. Following the same plot as the 1984 movie, we meet Daniel, played by newcomer Gino Ochello in his professional debut. Daniel is a 17-year-old from New Jersey who has recently moved to California with his enthusiastic mother (Sharon Sexton), and who is struggling to fit in at his new school, thanks to his crush on popular girl Ali (Abigail Amin) – a fact that doesn’t sit well with Ali’s comically villainous karate prodigy ex-boyfriend, played with vigour by Joe Simmons. A chance encounter with the handyman who works in Daniel’s building, Mr. Miyagi (Adrian Pang in a genuinely brilliant performance) leads the two to an unlikely friendship formed through gruff exchanges and karate chops. The performances are really what make Amon Miyamoto’s Karate Kid work. The chemistry between Ochello and Pang is sparkling, and every interaction between them is leaden with unspoken emotion as they form a deep bond through finding balance in themselves. 

And thank goodness the performances do as much heavy lifting as they do – as the book itself is fairly lacklustre. The opening song, ‘Rewrite My Story’ can mainly be described as fine, if a little forgettable. And with a couple of exceptions, most of the rest of the music feels samey and routine. Once you’ve heard the first one, there isn’t much the rest bring to the table other than moving the plot along. It’s possible that the book would feel more exciting if there weren’t issues with the staging. Of course, with a touring production, you can never predict the exact dimensions and feel of a stage. But compared with Miss Saigon, reviewed earlier this month (in which whole cities seemed they were built and razed onstage), Karate Kid felt quite lacking in a lot of the songs. A lack of bustle, a lack of movement, a lack of business – all of which could have been solved with even a couple more bodies on the large stage. This isn’t true for the entire production. There are some real gems of songs in there, like ‘Typical Ali Mills’ which has a Sharks and Jets type vibe to it, and ‘The Whole World Will be Watching’, a real powerhouse of a song that hits you right in the gut. 

Speaking of getting hit in the gut, it’s clear that fight consultant Kev McCurdy has put a lot of time and effort into the karate sequences, managing to convey them in a beautifully stylistic manner. However, small details mean that realism slips away a lot of the time. A lack of knapping (the act of making the sound of a blow land) and underexaggerated reactions mean that in a show with the word ‘karate’ in the title, the best and most believable stage combat moment comes from Abigail Amin as Ali punching someone in the face.

These issues are soon forgotten as the cast work through them, though. Matt Miles is a standout as rival karate teacher and war veteran John Kreese, bringing gravitas and a very real sense of a mind on the edge. Mills is an incredible talent, with many unable to take their eyes off him whenever he was onstage. Also phenomenal were the ensemble actors, playing karate spirits. The choreographers, Keone and Mari Madrid, were clearly inspired by Japanese Kabuki theatre – and the unique blend of dance and theatre was mesmerising. Although the entire ensemble was fantastic, two highlights were El Haq Latief (who danced like it came more naturally to them than walking) and Ria Tanaka, who was a joy to watch as ensemble and heartbreaking to watch as Kiyoko.

Were there issues with this show? Absolutely. But standing outside the theatre afterwards, a mother was overheard telling cast members that her son had only ever missed one of his karate classes – and it was that night, to see the show. So was it worth it? Yes.

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