Following a successful run in New York last year, Cross the Pond Theatre presents us with their new, original musical, Bombshell. Written by Madison Mayer, who stars as Scarlett, our climate-conscious main character, we explore three girls’ mission to spread climate awareness by performing raunchy cabaret numbers with a political message. With songs composed by Cumbernauld local Aila Swan, who plays Jane, Bombshell delivers a kooky and amusing story, with pizzazz and high energy.
Emory Kemph directs and features as Eliza, perfectly capturing the sarky and satirical feel of Mayer’s writing, eliciting a great reaction from the audience with laughs aplenty. Each number flies by, with well-choreographed routines and strong harmonies—the trio are fabulous performers, strong in all aspects. The comedic delivery lands well, with witty moments such as the actors putting on impressions of other characters—most memorably, Scarlett’s boyfriend Tony, who is even more environmentally conscious than Scarlett.
We watch their relationship progress as Tony takes more and more control of Scarlett’s cabaret numbers, rewriting them and pushing her to spread her message further than just Club Fistfight. We soon find out Tony is not all he is cracked up to be as he reveals his mean streak, even going so far as to make Scarlett sing about having an abortion. Kemph and Swan’s portrayal of the suave Englishman Tony is hilarious, with them strutting around and even lap dancing on Mayer at one point.
Swan, Mayer, and Kemph perform with boldness—not shying away from embarrassing the audience with their lingering glances. There are such frequent moments of hilarity from both the witty writing and the assertive performances that my face began to hurt from smiling. The show is structured in a cabaret-like style, so is not plot-heavy, yet manages to find a balance that engages and progresses the story and its stakes, with the audience being invested in the characters.
While the subject matter on paper is intense, Bombshell was anything but. It addressed a number of pressing issues but with a light-hearted and wacky approach that makes this a very palatable piece of work—certainly a guaranteed evening of fun, both educating and entertaining. Bombshell runs until the 16th of August at the studio at theSpaceTriplex, with more information available at https://www.thespaceuk.com/shows/2025/
Reviewer: Jessie Martin
Reviewed: 8th August 2025
North West End UK Rating:
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