Ride The Cyclone Southwark Playhouse

Beautiful, ethereal and funny musical that’s our top piece of theatre for 2025

Ride The Cyclone appears to be one of those positive things that comes out of TikTok. Grainy Slime Tutorials of a recent musical that captured the attention of younger generations of potential and current theatre-goers.

The fact is, Ride The Cyclone is not just a social media phenomenon. It’s a beautiful show that blends tragedy, humour and pathos with an quality that is at times ethereal.

It’s currently playing to sell-out audiences at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant.

It’s difficult to explain the storyline to people who have not already been captured by it. A group of teens from a school choir die during a rollercoaster derailment. Ending up in limbo overseen by The Amazing Karnak – a fortune telling machine – each tells their story for the chance to live again.

But amongst the choir members is someone nobody knows. Jane Doe is wearing the choir uniform but nobody knows who she is and her body was never claimed. She was decapitated in the accident with her head replaced with that of a doll.

Somehow this quirky premise makes a fantastic show that is life affirming come the end.

It’s one that will have you idly looking at what tickets are left available for a chance to see it again.

This new London production is utterly fantastic, though do be warned, if you sit in the front row you are mere centimeters from the actors if you’re likely to shed a tear or two come the end. It’s an incredibly intimate theatre and the space is used well.

When we left, my teenager demanded to know which bit was my favourite. It was really difficult to answer. From the space cats, gay French sex worker, the Ukrainian dance or Edward Wu’s incredible movements as The Amazing Karnak.

I think it would have to be Grace Galloway’s The Ballad of Jane Doe. Utterly beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.

There are very few tickets left, so if you are planning on seeing it, grab them now.

This show has shot straight into our favourite piece of theatre for this year. Loved every moment.

Hoping for both a cast recording and UK tour please.

@chopsybristoltt

So Ride The Cyclone currently on at the @Southwark Playhouse Never seen it before. Never heard it before. But it was brilliant. The music, the design, the cast, the writing. It totally blew me away. It’s now in my top five musical theatre shows. Apparently, previous productions have used a puppet or something for Karnak. Glad that didn’t happen because the actor was fantastic. Never getting on another fairground ride though. #ridethecyclone #ridethecyclonemusical #musical #musicaltheatre #theatretiktok

♬ the Ballad of Jane Doe – Quarzade🍉

Ride The Cyclone is on at The Southwark Playhouse Elephant until 10 January 2026

For more information, visit: https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/ride-the-cyclone/

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