Brighton Year-Round 2024

Now That’s What I Call a Musical

ATG Productions and Royo, Universal, Sony and Mighty Village present

Genre: Comedy, Dance, Live Music, Mainstream Theatre, Musical Theatre, New Writing, Theatre

Venue: Theatre Royal, Brighton

Festival: Brighton Year-Round

Low Down

Review

“Daaahlings… switch off your mobile phones or I’ll come for you.” Craig Revel Horwood’s inimitable voice as director and choreographer of Now That’s What I Call a Musical arrives along with the musical at Theatre Royal Brighton till December 7^th, with a book by Pippa Evans. Evans also chose the songs. It’s inspired by an (as yet unproduced) screenplay by Ian Brown, Lotte Mullan and Natalie Malla. Class of 1989 meets 2009 and Gemma and April go back to the future.

It’s a hit. Obviously. With Revel Horwood helming this is as tight and perfectly-choreographed a party animal as you could wish. We’ve seen sloppy routines on occasion. Not here. This is quip-smart and just wait for Video Killed the Radio Star where not just choreography but costumes are not do much fab-u-lous as off the freakin’ planet.

Evans grabs every playlist you can dream of (bar Madonna, and quirky Kate Bush isn’t invited). It’s not so much a kick up the Eighties as a Flickr of everything those of us who were around thought we did; and possibly didn’t. No poignant ‘like a virgin’ moments then, as Gemma and April hopscotch out of school and into life, one with dreams or nursing and children, and Hollywood for April; which sort of happen, and a little bit don’t.

To the opening Relax with the ensemble rocking for nostalgia of 20 years before, we’re introduced to a superb set by Tom Rogers and Toots Butcher, initially a pub full of Ben Cracknell’s summer light and interior lighting playing across a seedy Birmingham bar. Dust motes are palpable. The space though is hugely flexible allowing for downstage right kitchens, downstage living rooms and some ingenious slottings-in of a luxury flat or a video store. It’s as tight and singing as the music.

A simple story is made visually much more interesting. 1989 and 2009 at several points intersect. 2009 nurse Gemma looks ruefully across at her wedding of nearly 20 years earlier; walks up to her 1989 husband, knowing what he’s already doing to her radiant 1989 self. It’s early 1990s by then but with characters doubled by younger and older selves, I’ll go to it relaxed. Oh and Sonia rocks up. Real Sonia.

Gemma (Nina Wadia, 1989 on this occasion Molly Cheesley) and April (Melissa Jacques, 1989 Maia Hawkins) are besties, or at least were. In 2009 Gemma ruefully concludes Hollywood-vanished April will never return for the reunion. A sudden casting meant she never made Gemma’s wedding. Meanwhile Gemma’s married dreamboat impresario Tim (Chris Grahamson, 1989 on this occasion Blake Tuke). Tim is so obviously a dishy panto villain he even tells the audience. Just watch for Gold as he and a gold-plated ensemble dance avarice worthy of Ben Jonson’s pen. And wait for sleaze-balling Mickey. Still, there’s a loose end I want to see tied round his neck.

Wadia and particularly Cheesley are spellbinding vocally, as are Jacques (whose burnished soprano pierces too) and Hawkins. Hawkins’ Girls Just Wanna have Fun rips into the minor and reveals how this is a paean for freedom bordering on the tragic, pushing teacher Ms Dorian (Lauren Hendricks) aside as she catches her 747 future . Jacques singing Everybody Wants To Rule The World is another highlight and Cheesley’s Hold Me Now-

Meanwhile Gemma’s parents – there’s light cultural references to ‘tradition’ and family here – start embarrassing with a sizzling parents’ rock to, of all things, Tainted Love: sung by Dad (Christopher Glover) and Mum (Poppy Tierney, particularly beguiling). Happily they never age and lend a hug of family warmth. Brother Frank (Shakil Hussain1989, Luke Latchman, affecting and hilarious respectively) hung up on April is another matter. Clashing with Dad over the future of car-building Frank crashes from one entrepreneurial idiocy to the other. But if he seems an ever-loser, are his dreams of April deluded?

Video Killed The Radio Star might possibly the highpoint of bonkers choreography and certainly costume, as the ensemble cavort  around with TVs for heads and a mirror ensemble writhes and squiggle on the ground. There’s wonderful ensemble pieces, Sweet Dreams and  duets, the most affecting I’ll Stand By You and Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves.

The final piece of the wanna-coupledom is Callum Tempest’s Barney and the ultimate stalker’s anthem Every Breath You Take. How can he move on from that? Well, The Only Way Is Up… The heart-warming factor is a musical about young dreams with many older cast members. Whilst Younger Steve (Matthew Mori) is a gyrating wonder his older video-store-managing self (Phil Sealey) has to be…  experienced.

There’s fine ensemble work too from Emily Barnett-Salter, Stefanos Petri, Lizzy Ives, Martha Pothen. But… wait for Sonia doing for Gemma what Dolly Parton did for a lovesick no-hoper a couple of months ago.

What happens in Act Two, the confusions, false identities break-ups, break-ups and reconciliations, breaks and discoveries is satisfyingly neat. Evans has written a fine book in essentials, though it could be richer and explore some moments more. It’s also as straight as an Eighties crease. Production though and Georgia Rawlins’ musical direction, masterminded by Mark Crossland is superb. Adam Fisher’s sound isn’t deafening and there’s fine quiet moments.

Most though is the way the principals Hawkins (a wonderful discovery), Jacques, Wadia, Grahamson, Glover, Tierney, Hussain – and particularly understudies Cheesley and Tuke who need more than a shout – grab this by the scruff of its shoulder pads and make us love them. A must-see.

Here’s the playlist:

Relax- Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun- Cyndi Lauper
Tainted Love- Soft Cell
Video Killed The Radio Star- The Buggles
Every Breath You Take- Police
You Spin Me Round- Dead Or Alive
Flashdance…What A Feeling -Irene Cara
St Elmo’s Fire-John Parr
500 Miles -The Proclaimers
Sweet Dreams- Eurythmics
Everybody Wants To Rule The World- Tears For Fears
Hold Me Now- Thompson Twins
A Little Respect- Erasure
I’ll Stand By You- Pretenders
Gold- Spandau Ballet
Walking On Sunshine- Katrina and the Waves
Karma Chameleon- Culture Club
Mickey- Toni Basil
Too Much Too Young- The Specials
Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves- Eurythmics
The Only Way Is Up- Yazz

Mark Crossland’s musical supervision, orchestrations and vocal arrangements, Musical Director Georgia Rawlins

Book Pippa Evans, Music & Lyrics Various,  Director and Choreographer Craig Revel Horwood, Set and Costume Tom Rogers and Toots Butcher, Lighting Ben Cracknell, Sound Designer Adam Fisher, Associate Choreographer Aaron Renfree

Musical Supervision, Orchestrations and Vocal Arrangements Mark Crossland, Musical Director Georgia Rawlins, Casting Director Annelie Powell CDG

Hair, Wigs & Make-Up Sam Cox, Associate Sound Designer Ollie Durrant, Associate Director Guy Woolf, Costume Supervision Bristol Costume Services, Voice & Dialect Coach Salvatore Sorce

Music Licensing Lizee Brown, artwork Feast Creative, Press Buchanan PR, Marketing Maidwell marketing, Production Management setting line

Published December 3, 2024December 4, 2024 by Simon Jenner