East Is East is a recent addition to National Theatre’s At Home catalogue and only appeared as a live production back in October.
‘Blindsided me with its warmth and sense of fun’: THIS IS MY FAMILY – Chichester ★★★★
This Is My Family is a little gem from Calendar Girls/Neville’s Island writer Tim Firth which blindsided me with its warmth and sense of fun, even when dealing with painful situations.
‘An emotional rollercoaster with troubles that we can all relate to’: THE BAND – Touring ★★★★
Surprisingly The Band – the new musical by Tim Firth interwoven with a plethora of Take That hits – is not a story of how The Band rose to fame, and their ups and downs. Instead the tale is from their fans’ perspective and shows how, despite what life throws at them, they stay lifelong loyal fans.
‘A complete triumph’: THE BAND – Touring ★★★★
The Band is not just a musical for Take That groupies – it’s a musical for anybody who grew up with a boyband. This is a musical which celebrates the music of Take That and so much more besides.
‘Inoffensive crowd-pleasing merriment’: THE BAND – West End & Touring
A slender scenario in search of a storyline, new musical The Band at least has a solid gold score, utilising the extensive pop catalogue of superstar 1990s boy band Take That.
‘Engaging, endearing & entertaining’: THE BAND – Touring ★★★★
Superbly directed by Kim Gavin and Jack Ryder, aided by a strong team of equally imaginative creatives, there is so much more to the success of the intriguing musical The Band than one would imagine.
‘Full of friendship, laughs, emotion & nostalgia’: THE BAND – Touring & West End ★★★★
Whether you’re an avid fan of Take That, or you just know a few of the hit songs, get yourself along to The Band for a show full of friendship, laughs, emotion and nostalgia.
‘Best new musical to hit theatres in years’: THE BAND – Touring ★★★★★
Heart-warming and bursting with pop songs, The Band perfectly captures teenage fandom as Take That’s songs shine in this brand new musical.
‘Heart-warming, emotional, funny & feelgood’: THE BAND – Touring ★★★★★
I loved every wonderful, heart-stopping, minute of this terrific show. Could It Be Magic? You betcha.
‘The cast is exceptionally strong’: THE BAND – Touring ★★★★
Overall The Band is a success. If given the chance I would probably go and watch it again, as I felt the cast was exceptionally strong even when the story lacked motivation.
INTERVIEW: Rachel Lumberg is touring in Take That-inspired musical The Band
Rachel Lumberg is an award-winning actress who has been in a whole host of shows from The Full Monty to Romeo and Juliet. She’s currently starring as Rachel in the UK tour of The Band.
NEWS: Take That musical The Band is set for 50-show West End run from December 2018
It has been reported that Tim Firth’s Take That-inspired musical The Band, co-produced by Take That, will transfer to Theatre Royal Haymarket from 30 November 2018.
THE BAND – Manchester & tour
What I found particularly pleasing was that The Band actually proves an engaging and entertaining piece of theatre, one that has clearly thought about the jukebox form and how it might be played with.