Step Behind The Stage
Caroline: A New Musical
New Theatre, Peterborough - 19/05/2026
Review by Daniel Marshall
Photo Credit: Will Green
Radio Caroline holds a unique place in British cultural history. The pirate radio station that broadcast pop, soul and rock and roll from a ship off the Essex coast in the 1960s helped shape a generation and challenge an establishment that had long controlled what people could and could not listen to. Caroline: A New Musical, written by Vikki Stone and directed by Douglas Rintoul and Alex Thorpe, brings that rebellious spirit to the stage in a vibrant and thoroughly entertaining new production that captures the era with real authenticity and heart. The show follows Caroline, a young woman swept up in the tidal wave of change that Radio Caroline unleashes, as her music-mad boyfriend Robbie lands a gig on the ship and everything shifts. It is a love story at its core, but one set against the backdrop of a cultural revolution, and the show works beautifully on both levels. Whether you arrive with a passion for the history or simply want a great night out, there is plenty here for you.
What immediately sets Caroline apart is its actor-musician format, with the entire cast performing their roles whilst playing live instruments throughout. It is a format that gives the musical a rawness and intimacy that a pit orchestra would not provide, and the seamlessness with which the company moves between acting and playing never once feels showy or forced. Instead, the stage feels completely alive.
Leading that company is Jake Halsey-Jones as Robbie, a performance bursting with charisma, brilliant vocals and an infectious energy that personifies the underdog spirit of Radio Caroline from the very first scene. Alongside him, Claire Lee Shenfield brings real warmth and conviction to the titular role, with the chemistry between the two of them feeling genuinely compelling. Shenfield in particular gives a masterful performance that really drives the more emotional moments, whilst Halsey-Jones captures the show's spirit with a magnetism that feels utterly effortless.
The comedy throughout Caroline: A New Musical is handled with equal care. Jerome Lincoln's Private Secretary is an absolute delight, with some of the finest comedic physical acting of the night generating huge laughs every time he appears. Gareth Cooper's Postmaster General provides a brilliant counterpoint, a dry and villainous antagonist who never loses his sense of fun, his reimagining of These Boots Are Made For Walking being a highlight in itself. Together with Robbie's sharp one-liners, the two provide a consistent comedic thread that runs through the show without ever undermining its emotional core.
This really is a cast where everybody plays their part to perfection though. Joey Hickman's Declan is the driving force who refuses to give up on the station, whilst Nicola Bryan's Betty provides a grounded and realistic perspective that balances his determination beautifully, with both playing their roles to perfection. Likewise, Eloise Richardson delivers a bubbly and believable portrayal of Mary that is a genuine joy to watch. She is emotionally supportive and whimsically funny in equal measure.
Photo Credit: Will Green
One of Caroline's greatest strengths is the use of its jukebox soundtrack. Rather than simply stringing together familiar songs, the production is thoughtful about what each number is doing. Some songs feel true to their originals, grounding the show in the era, whilst others are reimagined to serve the story and characters. Postmaster General's villainous reimagining of 'These Boots Are Made For Walking' is a perfect example, turning a familiar track into a brilliant character moment. Elsewhere, numbers like 'Shout' and 'Hippy Hippy Shake' capture the joyous and rebellious spirit of the station and those around it. Arguably the standout moment of the night is Claire Lee Shenfield's moving rendition of 'You're My World', a performance of such quiet stillness that it stops the room completely. So many of the night's numbers are vibrantly delivered by the whole cast, driven further by Sundeep Saini's spectacular choreography, which is all the more impressive given the demands of the actor-musician format. But it was the real contrast against this during 'You're My World' that made the tender delivery land with such force.
Stella Backman's set and costume design deserves real credit for transporting the audience back to the 1960s with a care and authenticity that makes the world of the show feel genuinely inhabited. Callum Macdonald's lighting equally supports this, driven by effective shifts of atmosphere that allow us to move between the claustrophobic isolation of life aboard the radio ship to the full-throated joy of the company numbers with elegant simplicity.
All of these elements combine to create a production that feels like far more than the sum of its parts, doing full justice to a story that genuinely deserves to be told and continues to resonate today. The station that started as an act of defiance against the establishment is still broadcasting today, and whilst Caroline: A New Musical takes creative liberties with the characters and events it portrays, the spirit of what it meant and what it stood for comes through in every scene. You find yourself completely lost in this world, caught up in the relationships, the music and the movement, and by the time the final number arrives you feel every bit as swept up in it as the characters on stage.
Cast on the Night:
Nicola Bryan Betty – Betty
Gareth Cooper – Postmaster General
Jake Halsey-Jones – Robbie
Joey Hickman – Declan
Rhiannon Hopkins – Kitty
James Lawrence – Steven
Claire Lee Shenfield – Caroline
Jerome Lincoln – Private Secretary
Perry Meadowcroft – Dave the Fish
Eloise Richardson – Mary
Kelsey Serena Forrester - Teenage Girl