Touring – reviewed at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford
Guest reviewer: Becky Doyle
A fantastic cast and one which who carries out the storyline brilliantly. Tessa Peake-Jones and Tony Gardner in particular do not disappoint and Wendi Peters proves she has quite the singing voice. Unfortunately for me, the story itself does not live up to expectations and I was left feeling maybe I’d missed something. I’d had in my mind, real belly laugh, fall off my chair kind of humour and that just isn’t what it is. However, others in the audience reacted that way and that leads me to think that maybe there is a generational gap.
Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed the show, it just didn’t meet my expectations. The set is laid out fantastically and the change in scenery is one of the best parts of the show where Peters displayed her fabulous vocal abilities, as well as the comical interaction with the actors of the show.
I did enjoy the occasional audience interaction that you can get form a smaller theatre, where the actors react to the audience’s applause, sniggers and cooing. All of the cast look like they are thoroughly enjoying their roles and the characters they bring to life.
Overall, the show is enjoyable, and the second half was much more entertaining than the first. But, I do think I would recommended it to a slightly more mature audience as they seemed to have the most enjoyment from the show on the night.
