Funk Soul Productions. Goodwood Theatres. 30 Jan 2026
That Guy in the Foyer loves opening nights. The buzz in the air, the sense that something might just go gloriously right or spectacularly wrong. And opening night of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee went very, very right.
This is Funk Soul Productions’ second musical outing, and once again Immi Beattie and Gracie Greenrod demonstrate why they were named 2025 Adelaide Critics Circle Emerging Artists. Their previous success with The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals hinted at ambition and flair; Spelling Bee confirms maturity, confidence, and a great understanding of tone. A musical rarely staged in Adelaide, this production is dynamic, warm, and joyfully assured.
As far as I can ascertain, Adelaide has seen two prior productions of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, the most recent in 2017 by Marie Clark Musical Theatre, and before that Adelaide Youth Theatre’s 2014 staging directed by Brendan Cooney, a production remembered for its high-energy, comedic snap. I didn’t have the privilege of seeing either but the critical acclaim they garnered was clear. Funk Soul Productions’ iteration of the show first staged on Broadway in 2005 is equally outstanding!
At its core, Spelling Bee follows six mid-pubescent spelling champions discovering, often painfully, that winning isn’t everything, and losing isn’t the end of the world. Rachel Sheinkin’s Tony Award–winning book and William Finn’s vibrant score are delivered here with a light but assured touch. The potentially made-up words arrive thick and fast, the dreaded “ding” of the bell denoting an incorrect answer, lands like a parent’s disappointment and, beneath the comedy, there lies thought provoking reflection on childhood loneliness and the need to be seen. Six spellers enter; one leaves a champion. The others get a juice box and, as we find during the epilogue, some emotional growth.
Greenrod’s direction keeps the show moving at a cracking pace, supported by a clean, flexible set of her own design. Audience participation, often a theatrical nightmare, is handled with warmth and good humour and is inviting rather than intimidating. Musical direction by Beattie keeps Finn’s score, albeit recorded, lively and precise, while Allycia Angeles’ choreography adds physical wit and momentum without ever overpowering character. Lighting by Greenrod, Steven Durey, and Angeles and sound managed by the maestro that is John McCartney, effectively and subtly supports the storytelling.
The cast is uniformly strong. Ruby Pinkerton brings polish and nostalgia to host Rona Lisa Peretti, the former spelling bee champion turned successful realtor. Amelia Boys is quietly extraordinary as Olive Ostrovsky, grounding the emotional spine of the piece with restraint and truth. Boys plays Olive’s character arc with impeccable nuance, culminating in a deeply touching revelation of the profound loneliness experienced by a young girl whose mother is preoccupied with a spiritual quest and father who remains achingly distant. It’s a nuanced performance that lands with anyone who experienced moments in childhood where all they wanted was to be validated by parents. Boys, Pinkerton and Parisya Mosel’s rendition of The I Love You Song is heart rending.
Corey Major leans gleefully into Chip Tolentino’s baseball-capped bravado, steering Chips Lament—a song detailing a teen boys response to a girl he finds…well, deeply alluring—with confidence and comic ease. Neve Sargeant delivers a sharply observed Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, tightly wound with ambition, woke consciousness and parental pressure, while Yasmin Fitzgerald’s, Marcy Park is a study in perfectionism beginning to crack. Fitzgerald’s energetic delivery of I speak Six Languages is something to behold.
Matthew Boyd is gloriously odd as Leaf Coneybear, drifting into trance-like states impossible not to find hilarious, while Flynn Turley anchors the chaos with edgy, tenuous authority as Vice Principal Douglas Panch who constantly mispronounces the name Barfée. Parisya Mosel brings warmth and emotional weight to paroled counsellor Mitch Mahoney as well as a range of other characters.
Spelling Bee is notable for its musical high points, and this cast delivers them well. Olive’s My Friend, the Dictionary lands with aching tenderness, William Barfée’s Magic Foot is a masterclass in physical comedy, and the ensemble number Pandemonium crackles with controlled chaos. Those moments are capably brought to life in dance by Allycia Angeles’ choreography, which never overwhelms narrative or character with spectacle
The standout for me is Jaxon Joy as William Barfée. Intensely awkward and physically inventive, Joy delivers a rich performance that while emphasizing the comedy never loses sight of the character’s vulnerability. It’s a performance that understands exactly why Barfée matters.
A delightful addition to the performer bios in the program notes, the inclusion of each cast member’s favourite words, was a small but thoughtful touch perfectly encapsulating the show’s exploration of language, individuality, joyful nerdiness and the production teams attention to detail.
Fast-paced, funny, and, for me, unexpectedly touching, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee staged by Adelaide’s dynamic Funk Soul Productions, is memorable event for all the right reasons.
Go. See. It.
John Doherty
When: 30 Jan to 7 Feb
Where: Goodwood Theatres
Bookings: Closed
