REVIEW
✭✭☆☆☆ 2/5
Now That's What I Call A Musical
At the Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
On Tue 11 Feb
at 8pm
TWO BEST FRIENDS, ONE UNFORGETTABLE REUNION!
NOW A BRAND-NEW MUSICAL COMEDY
✭✭☆☆☆ 2/5
Now That's What I Call A Musical
At the Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
On Tue 11 Feb
at 8pm
TWO BEST FRIENDS, ONE UNFORGETTABLE REUNION!
NOW A BRAND-NEW MUSICAL COMEDY
Now That’s What I Call a Musical’s storyline is based on two best friends whose friendship was formed during the eighties. The timeline spans from 1989 through to 2009 where we are filled in on their lives, their families and friends and their parting of ways, when one of them flies off to America to find fame as an actress and the other stays in Birmingham to fulfil her dream of becoming a nurse.
The show kicks off with the 2009 school reunion where we are introduced to the grown up Gemma played by Nina Wadia and, as she reflects on the past, the younger Gemma and April become present and we flit respectively from one era to another as the girls’ journey to adulthood is played out.
Now, I don’t know what’s gone on with this show at other venues prior to it arriving in Southend, but this is the first time that I’ve seen security on the doors of the Cliffs Pavilion for a musical production as well as having a bag check whilst being asked, ‘’ave you got any bottles in there?” by the security man. Erm, no actually, do I look like I’m gonna smash anyone in the face?” Bit weird especially with the majority of the audience being middle aged ladies clearly there for a bit of eighties nostagia.
Anyhow, back to the show, which was billed with the exciting casting of Liverpudlian pop songstress, Sonia as special guest, alongside X-Factor winner, Sam Bailey and the aforementioned, Nina Wadia of Goodness Gracious Me and Eastenders fame.
I think it’s fair to say that this storyline is probably a tad predictable and, as most jukebox musicals are guilty of, a little tenuous in the links to the musical numbers. However, it cannot be denied that when each and every one of the songs in this production is performed, they are done really well. The younger versions of Gemma and April are played by Nikita Johal and Maia Hawkins who both have fabulous vocals and despite the cheesy dialogue actually manage to portray some pretty believable characters. There is, though, an awful lot of over-acting which is no wonder given the slightly cringeworthy dialogue some of the characters have to deliver. With the action based in Birmingham, the distinctive West Midlands brogue is in full flow, not least with the younger Gemma’s brother, Frank (Luke Latchman) who’s accent almost becomes a parody as the show goes on.
The predictability of this show is somewhat saved by a smattering of humour which is injected into it here and there and actually provides some genuine laugh out loud moments. The cast and ensemble also bring some excellent vocals and belt out numbers such as Gold, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (standard), Hey Mickey, 500 Miles, Heart of Glass (which I thought was 70s actually) and many many more fabulously well. There's also some great choreography which is not really surprising when you have the fab-u-lous Craig Revel Horwood directing. His talent is clearly evident in the Tainted Love number which blended into an Argentine Tango routine and the Video Killed the Radio Star routine looked like a great opportunity to simultaneously show off choreography and costumes.
There are some lovely characters and Nina Wadia’s comedic skills certainly come to the fore during her performance. Chris Grahamson and Kieran Cooper as the Older and Younger Tim also showed off some great comedic performances and I loved Shakil Hussain’s rendition of Heart of Glass, as older brother Frank.
As the show goes on we are treated to lots of eighties songs backed by a band who sound amazing under the baton of MD, Georgia Rawlins. And then it suddenly occurs to me that we hadn’t yet actually seen the star of the show, Sonia, or, for that matter, Sam Bailey. Bit odd. Where were they? We finally get to see Sam Bailey who, of course, plays the older April right at the very end of Act 1, but where the heck was Sonia?
So, spoiler alert, Act 2 brings April back from LA to Blighty after her stint as an actress proved to be a bit of a non starter and not helped by the fact that she can’t even do an American accent. The weird thing is that even though it’s 2009 and Facebook has been around for a fair few years, as well as emails and the internet, neither of them have discovered that one of them doesn’t have any kids and the other has a daughter and is a single mum and so they get a bit narky with each other at their lack of communication skills.
The trials and tribulations are played out in Act 2 and in a particularly ‘down’ moment Gemma who is back at the childhood home after issues with her hubby, does the old, asking the poster of the pop star on her bedroom wall for help. And yes, you’ve guessed it, the poster is of Sonia and just like magic, she 'finally' appears and sings a song, Better the Devil You Know!, gives us a few lines of dialogue, a cheeky smile and a wink and disappears again not to be seen until the finale, while we crack on with the rest of the show.
Sadly, none of the dilemmas that the main characters face are truly investable and Act 2 feels a bit draggy. When one character towards the end of the show is standing on a tall ledge, one audience member behind me murmured ‘just jump’.
If you like eighties music, great singing and dancing and don’t mind sitting through a rather lengthy show, then this one’s for you. Personally, I’d rather just stick on a vinyl.
The show kicks off with the 2009 school reunion where we are introduced to the grown up Gemma played by Nina Wadia and, as she reflects on the past, the younger Gemma and April become present and we flit respectively from one era to another as the girls’ journey to adulthood is played out.
Now, I don’t know what’s gone on with this show at other venues prior to it arriving in Southend, but this is the first time that I’ve seen security on the doors of the Cliffs Pavilion for a musical production as well as having a bag check whilst being asked, ‘’ave you got any bottles in there?” by the security man. Erm, no actually, do I look like I’m gonna smash anyone in the face?” Bit weird especially with the majority of the audience being middle aged ladies clearly there for a bit of eighties nostagia.
Anyhow, back to the show, which was billed with the exciting casting of Liverpudlian pop songstress, Sonia as special guest, alongside X-Factor winner, Sam Bailey and the aforementioned, Nina Wadia of Goodness Gracious Me and Eastenders fame.
I think it’s fair to say that this storyline is probably a tad predictable and, as most jukebox musicals are guilty of, a little tenuous in the links to the musical numbers. However, it cannot be denied that when each and every one of the songs in this production is performed, they are done really well. The younger versions of Gemma and April are played by Nikita Johal and Maia Hawkins who both have fabulous vocals and despite the cheesy dialogue actually manage to portray some pretty believable characters. There is, though, an awful lot of over-acting which is no wonder given the slightly cringeworthy dialogue some of the characters have to deliver. With the action based in Birmingham, the distinctive West Midlands brogue is in full flow, not least with the younger Gemma’s brother, Frank (Luke Latchman) who’s accent almost becomes a parody as the show goes on.
The predictability of this show is somewhat saved by a smattering of humour which is injected into it here and there and actually provides some genuine laugh out loud moments. The cast and ensemble also bring some excellent vocals and belt out numbers such as Gold, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (standard), Hey Mickey, 500 Miles, Heart of Glass (which I thought was 70s actually) and many many more fabulously well. There's also some great choreography which is not really surprising when you have the fab-u-lous Craig Revel Horwood directing. His talent is clearly evident in the Tainted Love number which blended into an Argentine Tango routine and the Video Killed the Radio Star routine looked like a great opportunity to simultaneously show off choreography and costumes.
There are some lovely characters and Nina Wadia’s comedic skills certainly come to the fore during her performance. Chris Grahamson and Kieran Cooper as the Older and Younger Tim also showed off some great comedic performances and I loved Shakil Hussain’s rendition of Heart of Glass, as older brother Frank.
As the show goes on we are treated to lots of eighties songs backed by a band who sound amazing under the baton of MD, Georgia Rawlins. And then it suddenly occurs to me that we hadn’t yet actually seen the star of the show, Sonia, or, for that matter, Sam Bailey. Bit odd. Where were they? We finally get to see Sam Bailey who, of course, plays the older April right at the very end of Act 1, but where the heck was Sonia?
So, spoiler alert, Act 2 brings April back from LA to Blighty after her stint as an actress proved to be a bit of a non starter and not helped by the fact that she can’t even do an American accent. The weird thing is that even though it’s 2009 and Facebook has been around for a fair few years, as well as emails and the internet, neither of them have discovered that one of them doesn’t have any kids and the other has a daughter and is a single mum and so they get a bit narky with each other at their lack of communication skills.
The trials and tribulations are played out in Act 2 and in a particularly ‘down’ moment Gemma who is back at the childhood home after issues with her hubby, does the old, asking the poster of the pop star on her bedroom wall for help. And yes, you’ve guessed it, the poster is of Sonia and just like magic, she 'finally' appears and sings a song, Better the Devil You Know!, gives us a few lines of dialogue, a cheeky smile and a wink and disappears again not to be seen until the finale, while we crack on with the rest of the show.
Sadly, none of the dilemmas that the main characters face are truly investable and Act 2 feels a bit draggy. When one character towards the end of the show is standing on a tall ledge, one audience member behind me murmured ‘just jump’.
If you like eighties music, great singing and dancing and don’t mind sitting through a rather lengthy show, then this one’s for you. Personally, I’d rather just stick on a vinyl.
Get ready to relive the soundtrack of your youth at NOW That’s What I Call A Musical!
Celebrating 40 years of iconic and chart-topping compilation albums, this brand-new musical comedy has an unbeatable 80s soundtrack and show-stopping direction and choreography by Strictly Come Dancing's Craig Revel Horwood. This is an event you won't want to miss.
This fun-filled evening is bursting with some of the greatest hits from the 80s: Gold, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Tainted Love, Hey Mickey, Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves and many more!
Starring award winning comedy actress and EastEnders star Nina Wadia who will be joined on stage by Sam Bailey and special guest and pop icon, Sonia – performing one of her smash hits, Better The Devil You Know! It’s Birmingham, 1989. Gemma and April, two school friends, are busy with very important business - planning their lives based on Number One Magazine quizzes and dreaming of snogging Rick Astley! Fast forward to Birmingham 2009, and they're confronted with their worst nightmare: the school reunion...!
As friends reunite, drama unfolds, and old flames reappear... So, dust off your spandex, crimp your hair and get ready to press play on the rest of your life.