Review: Amélie (musical) | Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, BA Musical Theatre

The third year BA Musical Theatre students at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) bring the magic of Paris to Glasgow with their take on quirky romantic musical Amélie. Amélie plays at the New Athenaeum Theatre at RCS from 17 to 20 March 2026. Read my review below.

Amélie at RCS. Photo: Hope Holmes

Amélie ★★★★☆

Review: 17 March 2026 | Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Amélie the musical is based on the 2001 French-language film of the same name by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Adored the world over, the whimsical story of a Parisian girl who finds joy in making other people happy, was adapted into a Broadway musical in 2017.

Director Tom Cooper's imaginative production of Amélie for RCS transforms the quirky romantic comedy into something greater by staging the musical in the actor/muso style. Each of the eighteen performers due to graduate from the BA Musical Theatre course this year (2026) demonstrate their astonishing and varied skillset by expertly playing instruments at the same time as they act, move and sing. It's a stunning display of talent, and makes for a beautiful piece of ensemble storytelling

As always with the end of year productions at RCS, Amélie is a collaboration that showcases the work of not just the Musical Theatre class, but of their BA Production and Design, BA Production, Technical and Management, Music and Directing cohorts.

Technically, Amélie is one of the biggest and most ambitious, full-scale productions that I've seen at the Conservatoire. Emma Cox's imposing multi-level set towers over the stage, revealing hidden depths via gliding doors and secret hatches as the show progresses. Paige MacGillivray's lighting design for such a complex production is exquisite; and Hayden Brewis' sound is always immaculate.

Amélie can be surreal at times and Cooper's production leans into that by way of enchanting props and puppets brought to life by the Production Arts and Design team. I have a soft spot for Fluffy the swimming goldfish, but the young Amélie puppet and a seemingly endless array of colourful, intricate props add a playful touch to the show. (And of course adds another level of difficulty for the actors to contend with. Puppeteering? Tick.)

Amélie at RCS. Photo: Hope Holmes

The stars of the show however are the eighteen Musical Theatre third years who so skilfully play every role in the story with an open warmth and vitality. This is one of those shows where all of the performer's shine, and they all have their moment centre stage.

Amélie the musical: plot

Amélie (Mizuki Shuzenji, in a role shard with Aida Valentine) is born in Paris to parents who like the idea of a daughter in theory, but in reality, are cold and self-centred. Amélie is a shy girl with a vivid imagination. Being home-schooled, her first friend is a goldfish. After her mother (Cerys Devine) dies in unfortunate circumstances, her dad (Nathaniel Attard) becomes attached to a garden gnome who reminds him of her. At seventeen Amélie (understandably) leaves home and finds work in a cafe in Montmartre.

The musical follows Amélie's day to day life as a waitress in Paris who enjoys spreading happiness. She intervenes in the lives (and sometimes love-lives) of her customers, neighbours and strangers on the streets. Her small acts of kindness transform other people's lives, though she herself is lonely. That is until she becomes curious about a man (Will Collier) who appears to be oddly obsessed by photobooths.

For a romantic comedy, Craig Lucas's book for Amélie is surprisingly dark at times, and it does touch on delicate subjects. Tom Cooper's production acknowledges these incidents but never lingers on them, and he finds a sensitive balance between the sadness in Amélie's life and her bright, warm-hearted charm.

Where this production excels is with the full ensemble musical numbers. Daniel Messe's light, folksy score has never sounded better. The musicians led by MD Ana-Thea Panainte, coupled with the powerful voices, instruments and beautiful harmonies of the company elevate the whimsical score to something rousing and special.

An outstanding production of a sweet, unconventional musical.