Beautiful Little Fool - Southwark Playhouse Review

Review by Amelia

Ticket was gifted in return for an honest review

Beautiful Little Fool is a new musical premiering at Southwark Playhouse Borough from 15 January until 28 February 2026. Directed by Broadway veteran Michael Greif (Rent, Dear Evan Hansen), with music and lyrics by Hannah Corneau and a book by Mona Mansour, it arrives with an intriguing premise at its core.

Photo by Pamela Raith

The story looks at literary icons F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald through a slightly different lens. This comes from their adult daughter, Scottie, as she acts as both narrator and emotional anchor. We watch as she tries to make sense of what it means to grow up in the shadow of two people who were larger than life and ultimately destructive to one another.

Lauren Ward’s material as Scottie wasn’t my favourite overall. She really came into her own towards the end, but early on I struggled to connect with her songs. That’s absolutely no fault of her own (we all know she’s an incredible vocalist and actor), but some of the writing didn’t quite land for me, which made it harder to emotionally invest in her journey from the outset.

The true standout of the evening was Zelda, played by Amy Parker (usually played by writer Hannah Corneau). Her voice was just stunning, and it felt like she was completely in tune with the material she was given. Her pain was palpable throughout, and there was something deeply earnest about her portrayal, especially as she battled with a lost love who was standing right in front of her. Whenever she was on stage, the show felt most alive and most emotionally grounded.

David Hunter was doing David Hunter excellently as always as F. Scott Fitzgerald, oozing style and class, with those brilliant vocals to back up the performance. That said, he felt slightly underused in terms of the material and opportunities he was given. In a more fully fledged version of the production, perhaps with an extended running time, I feel like there’s real potential for this role to soar even higher.

David Hunter. Photo by Pamela Raith

Despite the emotional weight of the story, I didn’t feel as moved by the estranged love story as I expected to. There was a disconnect at times that I couldn’t quite put my finger on, which softened the impact of what should have been some of the show’s most devastating moments.

Visually, though, the production is really impressive. The set is incredible, and the transformation of the Large space at Southwark Playhouse Borough is genuinely commendable. The theatre remains intimate, yet somehow feels vast thanks to the movable bookshelves and the clever use of height and depth. The lighting is also used effectively, occasionally spilling into the audience to mirror the fourth-wall-breaking nature of Scottie’s narration. At times this felt unnecessary, as Scottie should arguably be the only one holding that power, but the intention behind it is clear.

As mentioned earlier, I did feel a disconnect with the music overall. Some songs are a real delight, particularly ‘Alabama Girl’ and ‘Beautiful Little Fool’, but elsewhere I found the lyrics and melodies overly repetitive, which made them feel predictable. When the full cast sing together (with David Austin-Barnes and Jasmine Hackett as ensemble at this performance), they sound just as wonderful as they do individually, and some of the harmony moments are genuinely gorgeous. Ironically, though, this may be where the production slips slightly, with the score not always pushing itself far enough.

Theatre is subjective, as always, and I’d still urge you to find out for yourself - especially since many of the songs are already available on platforms like Spotify. There’s a lot to admire here, and I think with further development, Beautiful Little Fool could grow into something truly special. The production plays at Southwark Playhouse Borough until the 28th of February with themes of alcoholism and strong language for guidance. 

⭐⭐⭐

Tickets for Beautiful Little Fool are available from https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/

Hannah Corneau, Lauren Ward, and David Hunter. Photo by Pamela Raith