Only Fools and Horses: The Musical will strike the spot if you're looking for some good old-fashioned market mishaps and shady dealings! This iconic British series will once again be brought to life for us to experience the good laughs and nostalgia again throughout the two-hour-long musical.
The show covers the Trotters' highs and lows in life, particularly their ambitions to get rich, and it is set in working-class Peckham in south-east London. The expectation for the musical was high as the series was critically and popularly acclaimed, garnering honours from BAFTA, the National Television Awards, and the Royal Television Society, as well as individual awards for both Sullivan and Jason. Additionally, in a BBC survey in 2004, it was elected Britain's Best Sitcom.
The Only Fools and Horses: the Musical will perform at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from the 30th of March to the 28th of May, 2022. Let's follow Andy Mace as he portrays the much-loved Grandad, Tom Bennett portrays lovable rogue Del Boy Trotter, and Ryan Hutton portrays the foolish brother Rodney as they take us on a trip back to 1989. From Jim Sullivan, the son of the creator of the series, John Sullivan, proudly co-writing the script and music, alongside the comedian Paul Whitehouse, and the musical contributions from Chas & Dave to hype us more to this top-tier comedy classic with quirky charm and hilarious songs.
Overall, the show was much more like a full length musical than an episode of one of the shows. The production did an excellent job seamlessly condensing things that happened across the entire story of all seasons into a two-hour long musical. This show is a remarkable exception as it feels more like a heartfelt, vibrant homage than a cheap imitation of the series. The writers did an excellent job capturing the highlights of the TV show. One of the unforgettable moments for me was when they drove the three-wheeler car into the stage; it was the famous car they used in the musical!
They also did an outstanding job showing the progression and arc of the characters in the actual musical and how they grew and matured throughout the series.
The actors for this show were perfect. They played the characters well in careful impersonations with remarkably exact voice inflexions, which reminded me of the original characters from the series. It was also enjoyable to see the cast stand by the theme song played beautifully by the live band, especially the much-loved Grandad and Uncle Albert from the show in the musical.
With the remarkable production, casts, music, and script, it definitely felt like watching it straight on TV. Additionally, given the world's current sad and worrying times, the show was so uplifting and refreshing. I can say that the entire two-hour-long musical was pure bliss.
It brought back many old memories to me, and I had a permanent wide grin on my face with lots and plenty of laughs when it was over! Absolutely fantastic!
