Shantify - Palais Du Variete George Sqaure Gardens - Review

After becoming one of the hottest tickets in town during the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe, the sea-faring, all singing, all dancing musical Shantify returns to Assembly’s Palais du Variete with new songs, a slightly reworked story and more energy than ever. With the story set in a fishing village, we are introduced to six young men who outside of their daily lives most look forward to their evenings in the local pub where they perform as the Barnacle Bouys, turning hit songs into sea shanties after, they tell us gleefully, they became viral sensations doing just that online during lockdown.

Each have their own lives, and each character uses the performers real name. Michael (Riseley)  runs a coffee shop, seeing prices rising and footfall falling, Callum (T King) is the local fishmonger, Ollie (Wray) a local chef specialising in sea food. Jack (Whittle)  and Alfie (French) sail Jack’s retired father’s fishing boat, alongside Jack’s brother Joe (Bishop) visiting from his banking job in London to help out. But when Jack is offered the opportunity to audition for Britain’s got Sea Shanties, will he be able to leave his quiet fisherman life behind for a life on a stage?

The story may not be the strongest of things, with points about dates and proposals acting simply as launchpads into the next musical number or splendid medley of both music and comedy, but if you look at it, Shantify is a jukebox musical and let’s be honest here, those aren’t known for having the most solid or developed plots. So we can forgive an at times flimsy cheesy story in favour of the music and the pure joy that this production provides. There is still believability in the characters, those residents of sleepy coastal towns where independent shops face a battle against chains and fishmongers up the prices for the tourists to the son’s who feel they must continue the family business even if they dream of something else. There’s truth there, and these performers bring those stories to life with a song in their hearts.

Regular breaking of the fourth wall allows the actors to talk directly to the audience as they move around the stage, swapped this year for an in the round layout, probably aiding the switch arounds for the two circus shows that sit either side of Shantify in the venue’s schedule. This interactive element of the show not only allows for the performers to point the story in different directions directly to the audience (at times even warning us playfully that things are about to get cheesy)  and explain each other in the most friendly banter ish of styles but also brings the audience further into the action, particularly in the finale which sees audiences clapping and cheering along.

From 9 to 5 and Man in the Mirror, to Eminem and the Spice Girls, the songs that get ‘shantified’ are catchy, fun and expertly executed by some of the best voices you will hear at the fringe. Plus, they are cleverly placed into the story and all work for the different points in the characters stories. The choreography by Christopher Hall (who also has his own show at the fringe) is all about the fun. The Barnacle bouys aren’t the type of boy (bouy) band who step out in perfect unison, all slick and polished, they are about enjoying the moment and having a laugh with friends, which is all captured in the dancing.

With powerhouse vocals, shed loads of heart and six incredibly talented and charming performers who are clearly having a great time, Shantify’s hour long running time flies by in a joyful blur of music, fun and  great enjoyment. Tickets have been flying out the door and following a brief London run pre fringe, I really don’t think it will be long before the Barnacle Bouys are sailing back to the big city for a West End Run or perhaps heading out on a UK Tour. Time will tell, but before then a cast recording would be great because I simply cannot get the Shantified version of 9 to 5 out of my head.