- Venue Arcola Theatre, London
- Performance dates Booking to 12 April 2025
- Running time 2 hours 15 minutes (including interval)
- Age guidelines 13+
Get tickets to Cry-Baby The Musical in London
From the makers of Hairspray, comes the Tony-nominated classic Cry-Baby – an all-singing, all-dancing stage adaptation of John Waters’ cult movie.
Packed full of infectious rockabilly hits like “The Anti-Polio Picnic” and “Girl, Can I Kiss You with Tongue,” Cry-Baby is a politically charged, laugh-out-loud cult classic!
Described as “Romeo and Juliet” meets High School Hellcats”, this subversive musical promises a toe-tapping, boundary-breaking good time.
The 17-strong cast includes Adam Davidson (Grease) as Wade ‘Cry-Baby’ Walker, Lulu-Mae Pears (Les Miserables) as Allison Vernon-Williams, Elliot Allinson (Jersey Boys) as Baldwin Blandish, and Jazzy Phoenix (The Phantom of the Opera) as Pepper Walker.
Cry-Baby The Musical is playing at the Arcola Theatre in London from 3 March to 12 April 2025.
It’s 1954. Everyone likes Ike, nobody likes communism and Wade “Cry-Baby” Walker is the coolest boy in Baltimore. He’s a bad boy with a good cause – truth, justice and the pursuit of rock and roll.
Enter Allison, a strait-laced rich girl who trades her “Square” boyfriend, Baldwin, for the irresistible allure of Cry-Baby and his misfit crew, the Drapes. As rivalries intensify and hearts break, the city is turned upside-down in a rollicking tale of forbidden love and teen rebellion.
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Performance Information
Check booking calendar for full details
- Evenings
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Matinees
- Saturday
- Group Bookings For groups of 10+ enquire here
Stars and Creatives
Who is in the cast of Cry-Baby The Musical?
Starring Adam Davidson as Wade ‘Cry-Baby’ Walker, Lulu-Mae Pears as Allison Vernon-Williams, Elliot Allinson as Baldwin Blandish, Jazzy Phoenix as Pepper Walker, Eleanor Walsh as Lenora Frigid, Chad Saint Louis as Dupree W. Dupree, Kingsley Morton as Mona Malnorowski, India Chadwick as Wanda Woodward, Shirley Jameson as Mrs Cordelia Vernon-Williams, and Paul Kemble as Judge/Father O’Neill
The Ensemble includes JR Ballantyne, Laura Buhagiar, Omer Cem Coltu, Ellie-Grace Cousins, Joe Grundy, Ryan Heenan, and Michael Kholwadia
Who are the creative team of Cry-Baby The Musical?
Book by Mark O’Donnell & Thomas Meehan, Songs by David Javerbaum & Adam Schlesinger
Based on the Universal Pictures film written and directed by John Waters
Directed by Mehmet Ergen
Designer Robert Innes Hopkins, Choreographer Chris Whittaker, Musical Director Ashton Moore, Lighting Designer David Howe, Sound Designer Matthew Giles, Associate Designer Defne Ozdogon, Casting Director Jane Deitch
Important Notes
Access Performances: Captioned Performance – Wednesday 26 March 2025; Relaxed Performance – Saturday 29th March 2025 (matinee) – 3pm
Content Warnings: Adult language, loud sounds, sudden noise, mild sexual imagery, references to self harm and mental health
Venue Information
Arcola Theatre , 24 Ashwin Street , London, E8 3DL
Nearest Tube or Train: Dalston Kingslan, Dalston Junction
Nearest Buses: 149, 242, 6, 243, 38, 56, 30, 277
Critics' reviews of Cry-Baby The Musical
★★★★★ "Dark, silly and utterly delightful... a firecracker of a show" - The Guardian
★★★★ "Gloriously trashy in the best way... a bouncy score, brisk staging and (most importantly) a happy ending" - Evening Standard
★★★★ "A fun bit of escapism" - All That Dazzles
★★★★ "A genuine musical romp" - West End Best Friend
"Sweeps you along... a fun, trashy evening’s entertainment" - Telegraph
"The Arcola ought to have a crowd-pleaser on its hands" - What's On Stage


















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