This musical, based on the songs of Take That – follows the lives of five boy band obsessed teenagers in the 1990s.
Sixteen-year-old Rachel, played by Olivia Hallett, and her close group of friends – Debbie, (Mary Moore), Claire, (Mari McGinlay), Heather (Bayley Hart) and Zoe (Hannah Brown) are typical lively teenagers with a shared love of ‘The Band.’ For Rachel, it gives her a sense of escapism from her parents who are constantly arguing.
When Debbie wins tickets to see the boyband, the girls are really excited and bunk off school to watch them. After the show, they wait at the stage door but miss them – and their train. They manage to get a bus driven by Dave, hilariously played by Alan Stocks – who pops up in many roles all equally as entertaining.
The concert scenes are just as you’d expect going to see a 90s boyband to be, with flashing lights and music booming, the staging was effective and allowed the ‘concert’ to take place above the ‘stage door’ area.
After dancing on the bus, the girls get kicked off for being rowdy and have to walk the last part of their journey. Debbie has bought them all a bracelet and they sit on rocks overlooking their hometown and swear never to take them off. Not long after that, tragedy strikes.
After the funeral, the friends don’t see each other for 25 years, until Rachel wins a competition for the four remaining friends to see the band in Athens.
The older Rachel, played by Jennifer Ellison, has second thoughts and can’t decide whether to go. In the end she does, leaving her partner, Jeff, played by Keith Henderson, a note on the kitchen table. Jeff is happy with the stable life they have and is surprised when Rachel wants to meet up with her old school mates that she hasn’t seen for years.
Rachel turns up at the very last minute for the flight and meets up with Zoe, played by Holly Ashton, Heather, played by Rachel Marwood and Claire, played by Jamie-Rose Monk.
The audience finds out how the girls’ lives have turned out, the acting throughout is heartfelt and emotional. The comedy timing is also spot on.
The 40-something women re-live their youth and end up missing the concert (long story!)
Rather than the songs telling the story, the band, played by Benjamin Cameron, Kalifa Burton, Archie Durrant, Regan Gascoigne and Alexandra O’Reilly are ever-present – supporting the girls through life’s ups and downs. The songs are well delivered with the boys appearing in every day scenes from kitchen cupboards to the shower.
The audience is treated to eighteen Take That songs, from ‘Could It Be Magic’ to ‘It Only Takes A Minute’, and for those in the audience itching to get up and dance, they get their chance at the end to join in.
Tim Firth’s dialogue is excellent, you feel like you get to know every one of the characters. There are some really funny elements to the writing, but also some real tear jerkers.
The show is all about the story of friendship and how the love of the band ultimately brought these four friends back together after 25 years. Prepare to have some tissues ready!
Greatest Days is at Curve until Saturday 28 October
Tickets £10 – £59
Audio described performance Saturday October 28 at 2.15pm
