Chicago: Teen Edition
★★★★☆ Glorious
The Edinburgh Academy (Venue 70): Mon 10 – Sun 16 Aug 2026
Review by Shuang Ning Tan
Captivate Theatre presents Chicago: Teen Edition, a marginally toned-down version of the vaudeville-style musical about celebrity culture in 1920s Chicago, featuring murderesses vying for public adoration.
The show follows Roxie Hart (a wannabe star) and Velma Kelly (an experienced vaudeville performer), who both seek the thrill of fame. After being incarcerated, the lawyer Billy Flynn turns Roxie’s case into a media spectacle, at the expense of her husband Amos Hart.
A scene from Captivate’s production of Chicago: Teen Edition. Pic: Malik Tajamul
Unfortunately for this production, it has big shoes to fill: Chicago is one of the longest-running musicals on Broadway and the West End, with an Academy Award-winning film adaptation. Perfection is perhaps unattainable, yet Linzi Devers’ direction successfully grasps the essence of the musical – entertainment and theatricality.
Romii Clements, who plays Roxie Hart, is the star of the show. All eyes are on her, as they should be. Clements is the vessel for perhaps the most multifaceted character: passionate, manipulative, scared, too drunk on fame for her own good. With great gusto, Clements performs the many faces of Roxie Hart, singing and dancing and even lip-syncing as she pretends to be a ventriloquist’s puppet.
fierceness
Elsa Tinney, who plays Roxie’s rival Velma Kelly, is similarly awe-inspiring. Tinney is a vocal powerhouse who manages to hold her own while sharing the stage with Clements’ Roxie, portraying the same dramatics with her own self-assured fierceness, garnering laughs with her resentful quips. Even more impressive are her high-energy spins and high kicks in I Can’t Do It Alone, with Tinney’s vocals staying strong all the while.
Craig Mackie, meanwhile, gives a magnetic performance as Billy Flynn. He swaggers on stage wearing a sharp suit and sleazy smirk, instantly making an impression, even if Billy isn’t as loveable as he believes he is. Mackie is marvellous to behold in the role and just as terrific as his peers, sustaining magnificent long notes in ‘We Both Reached for the Gun’.
A scene from Captivate’s production of Chicago: Teen Edition. Pic: Malik Tajamul
In stark contrast to Billy Flynn, Roxie’s husband Amos Hart is a down-to-earth man whose only fault is being a fool in love. Euan Campbell’s performance is suitably understated. Boringly dressed and frequently dismissed, he’s just a regular guy who tap-dances every so often… until Campbell puts on a red bowler hat and sings the heart-wrenching solo number Mister Cellophane, winning the sympathy of the audience.
The ensemble also deserves praise for elevating the performances of the main cast. With mostly synchronised choreography, they are up to the challenge of turning a plainly furnished stage into an extravaganza fit for stardom.
visual excitement
In order to accommodate Linzi Devers’ spectacular choreography, set design is wisely limited to three platforms, on which three narrators stand with decorative vintage microphones. Chairs occasionally spice up scenes, but the stage remains largely bare, leaving much of the visual excitement to the costume department.
Bridget Nicholson and Marian McPhillips’ costumes are stylish, even if the overwhelmingly black outfits are not particularly memorable at first. They really step up their game in the second act, during which characters wear glittering dresses and red bow ties, beautifully accentuated by Colum Findlay’s lighting.
A scene from Captivate’s production of Chicago: Teen Edition. Pic: Malik Tajamul
Nonetheless, the venue is a pervasive constraint. This production’s audio mixing, while far from a dealbreaker, can prove distracting. Contextual information is lost when it takes a moment for voices to become intelligible. This occurs most notably with the narrators, but some musical numbers like the Cell Block Tango might be better enjoyed if the ensemble lowered their voices. Also, one can’t help but wish that Tinney’s Velma and Clements’ Roxie powerful voices didn’t come across as so shrill, particularly when they belt out in unison.
In spite of some minor issues, the show is dynamic and dazzling. It is near-impossible to take your eyes off this glamorous production of Chicago: Teen Edition.
Running time: One hours and 45 minutes (including one interval).
The Edinburgh Academy (Magnuson Theatre), 42 Henderson Row EH3 5BL (Venue 70).
Monday 10 – Sunday 16 August 2026.
Daily: 4.45pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.
Captivate website: www.captivatetheatre.com/
Facebook: @captivatetheatre
Instagram: @captivatetheatre
TikTok: @captivate_theatre
A scene from Captivate’s production of Chicago: Teen Edition. Pic: Malik Tajamul
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