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Drivetime with Dan Mayo
NOW That's What I Call A Musical
Inspired by the 40th anniversary of the iconic NOW albums, this is a new jukebox musical comedy that celebrates the nostalgia of the eighties with a heartwarming story of two childhood friends whose paths through life don't work out how they'd imagined but bring them back together.
With choreography by Craig Revell Horwood, a soundtrack of twenty eighties smash hits and a guest star appearance by the actual Sonia, this show has all the elements of a winning musical and it certainly delivers. There are hits a plenty from Whitney Houston, Wham! Blondie, Tears For Fears, Spandau Ballet and many more, some very funny dance routines, including a recreation of the Video Killed The Radio Star music video, and a great plot.
The story jumps back and forth between 1989 and a school reunion in 2009 in a Birmingham pub as we follow two school friends, Gemma and April and their friends and families and find out how their lives turned out.
This production stars award-winning comedy actress and EastEnders star Nina Wadia who is fabulous as the 2009 Gemma and Melissa Jacques as 2009 April (who was at MK Theatre earlier this year in I Should Be So Lucky which was another excellent show). Nikita Johal gives a fantastic performance as the 1989 Gemma with some truly showstopping dancing towards the end of the first act.
The team also includes Maia Hawkins as Younger April, Kieran Cooper as Younger Tim, Christopher Glover as Dad, Chris Grahamson as Tim, Lauren Hendricks as Ms Dorian, Shakil Hussain as Frank, Luke Latchman as Younger Frank, Matthew Mori as Younger Steve, Phil Sealey as Steve, Callum Tempest as Barney and Poppy Tierney as Mum.
There's also a slightly random appearance by eighties icon Sonia who appears for about five minutes to sing Better The Devil You Know (not to be confused with the later Kylie song of the same name), but she really makes it count with a superstar performance, although the sentiment of the song is a little misguided as it's sung to a character who is in an abusive relationship.
This is a show which ticks all the boxes, it's querky, genuinely funny, nostalgic, heartwarming and relatable, somehow capturing the optimism of youth and at the same time the depressing reality of eighties life. There's throwback references galore, from cassette tapes and walkmans to rubilk's cubes, payphones and mullets, but even if you're not in the Class of 89, there's still plenty to keep you entertained.
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