Book: Debbie Isitt
Music and Lyrics: Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman
Director: Debbie Isitt
I Should Be So Lucky is sashaying around the UK on its first tour. As the name suggests, it features the
back catalogue of Stock Aitken Waterman made famous by some of the biggest pop stars of the 1980s and 90s including Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, and Rick Astley.
Tom Rogers has leaned into the cheesy escapism of the musical catalogue in his choice of set design. From the golden sparkly portals to the receding love hearts covered in shimmering gold and adorned with seashell-shaped chocolates that create the hard set, Rogers’ set looks like an album cover. Howard Hudson’s lighting design creates an infinity mirror effect that beautifully complements the hard set and frames the tasteful projections at the back of the stage.
The story follows Ella (Lucie-Mae Sumner) who is jilted at the altar by her fiancé Nathan (Billy Roberts) as he gets cold feet over a mysterious family secret. Ella’s gran (Gemma Churchill) convinces her to go on the honeymoon with her friends and family instead. Upon learning of Ella’s plight, the resort does all it can to make it a great experience for her by assigning her her own personal tour guide, Nadeem (Matthew Croke). Predictably, Ella falls for Nadeem’s charms just as Nathan decides that he has made a mistake, and from there on in we follow the classic Rom-Com trope of a love triangle within a tropical paradise.
The show lives and dies by the actors’ ability to portray the love triangle effectively. Sumner has an electric chemistry with her two leading men and there is audible division within the audience as they pick their sides. This is never more evident than in the nightclub scene where the two men compete for her affection during a frankly ridiculous spying sequence. Naturally, Ella decides she doesn’t need either of them having grown in self-confidence, and flounces off to her bedroom for solace and guidance. Enter the one and only Kylie Minogue. Kylie, ever the queen of theatrical entrances, appears as a spirit guide of sorts within Ella’s gilded mirror. Her contribution to the show is camp but classy, appearing at critical narrative junctures to offer advice and guidance.
Debbie Isitt has had a lot of fun playing with the stereotypical Brits abroad antics and from it she has been able to create a solid book. Her quick quips and double entendres draw raucous laughter from the audience and the cast delivers them with precision, none more so than Scott Paige who plays Michael, the gay best friend we all need in our lives. Paige delivers a truly side-splitting performance and his delivery of Toy Boy is nothing short of hilarious. The audience cannot help but fall in love with this character and this song is a particular highlight. An already stunning performance is further elevated as Melissa Jacques takes her harmony. Paige and Jacques could surely raise the roof of any building with the sheer volume they create together. The dynamism pulsates through every partnership in each scene.
The cast overall is an outstanding ensemble and each individual is capable of leading a musical. The result of bringing together this team of powerhouses is an incredibly uplifting cocktail of a musical. As they belt songs like Better Together a luxurious wave of sound washes over the auditorium and whips up a tangible atmosphere of excitement. The eye is drawn in all directions as each member surgically delivers Jason Gilkison’s choreography with infectiously endearing character.
While the book is solid, the second act does try to tie up too many subplots in quick succession with a seemingly superfluous sequence about missing items and passports as well as a string of duets between the supporting characters to resolve their romantic entanglements. The side stories are undoubtedly entertaining, particularly the pairing between Giovanni Spano and Tegan Bannister, but they do detract ever so slightly from the central narrative.
Rushed endings aside, Isitt has managed to pull together a tightly directed show that acts as a live-action Berocca, aided in no small part by the fact that each cast member is having the best time of their life live on stage. The energy is infectious, the vocals are stunning and the silliness is embraced. This is a show that recognises itself for what it is and makes no attempt to hide its silliness. Ultimately, the soundtrack brings together the very best of the Hit Factory’s back catalogue and this alone is worth the ticket price.
Run, don’t walk to get your tickets. This one is not to be missed.
Runs until 9 March 2024 and on tour
The Reviews Hub Score
A two hour holiday!
