Wax on, phones off for a musical stage adaptation of the 1984 stone cold classic movie, The Karate Kid. It is an instantly recognisable franchise which has, so far, spawned 5 sequels spread over 4 decades. Although initially unsuccessful at the box office, it became one of the highest-grossing movies of the year. It also earned Pat Moriata an Academy Award nomination as best supporting actor for his role of Karate’s answer to Yoda, Mr Miyagi. More recently, the show has won recruits with the popular Netflix spinoff series Cobra Kai, which revisits the contrasting fortunes of the show's main characters in the modern day.
As the lights dimmed, the silhouette of Karate’s most famous mentor appeared, trimming a bonsai tree. The stage setting of paper walls set the scene of Mr Miyagi’s California-based slice of Okinawa. The staging and props were familiar and an indication that the original film would be closely adhered to. The scenic design (Ben Davis) and costumes(Izzy Ribbeck) transport the audience back to 1980’s Los Angeles.
The stage is set for the tale of Daniel LaRusso’s struggle to adapt to his new life in LA with his widowed mother. For this performance, Isaac J Lewis, a bona fide black belt in Karate, steps into the Dojo to play the role of the love-struck, but affable Daniel. The excellent Sharon Saxton plays his mother, Lucille, who has orchestrated the move to start a new life for the LaRusso family. Both actors excel in their roles and have great chemistry in the mother-son dynamic.
Adrian Pang is outstanding as the legendary Mr Miyagi and is responsible for many of the lighthearted moments of the show. Abigail Amin (Ali Mills), Matt Mills (John Kreese) and Joe Simmons (Jonny Lawrence) are backed up by a great ensemble to provide a strong cast performance.
The musical score is excellent and Act One closes with a spectacular performance of 'The Whole World Is Waiting' by the infamous Cobra Kai. But the star of the show is the choreography and fight scenes, which are visually stunning and exhilarating to watch. The fight scenes were loudly cheered on by the audience, in particular by a large contingent of school children in attendance, which added to the atmosphere. The number of young people in the theatre would suggest that the franchise is still packing a punch.
Karate Kid the Musical is a visually spectacular stage production that follows the plot of the original movie closely. Although the storyline is in some places a touch laboured, the show is held together by the musical score and exceptionally well-choreographed dance and fighting scenes.
Production run (The Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield): Tuesday 7th June – Saturday 11th July 2026.
Running Time: around 2 hours and 30 minutes, including an interval.
https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events/the-karate-kid-the-musical/dates
Reviewer: Matthew Burgin
On: 7th July 2026
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