Funny Girl at the Regent Theatre Stoke Review
Reviewed by Dotty Winters
The world can feel like a pretty depressing and shallow place sometimes, fortunately the current touring production of Funny Girl may just be the perfect (albeit temporary) antidote. It may have first seen on Broadway in 1964, but this story of the triumph of wit, energy and talent over superficiality feels as relevant as it ever was. Funny Girl contains the best of everything we’ve come to expect from a musical: huge set pieces, incredible choreography and show stopping performances, but none of this is at the expense of real heart, true emotional connection with the audience and sparky humour.
I saw the show at one of my favourite theatres, The Regent Theatre in Stoke, which maintains an impressive programme of huge touring productions all year round. The building itself is beautiful and suitable grand, the staff are always friendly and well-informed, and its central location make it easy to get to by car or public transport. Whenever possible I aim to arrive early enough to enjoy a drink the in the luxurious piano bar, where live piano music sets the perfect tone for the evening. It has been hard to miss the buzz about Funny Girl, from the rave reviews in the West End, to the plaudits for Sheridan Smith who played the lead role initially. I am slightly wary of hyped-productions, and worry that they won’t live up to the expectations, but in this case the production more than justified the attention it has received. Accomplished, charming and funny, the whole cast did a great job, and delivered a performance which felt fresh and energetic throughout.
The set and costumes both really captured the grandeur and glamour of the story, with impressive attention to detail. The projected back screen and the use of perspective felt particularly innovative. Everything about this production oozed quality. Vocally the cast were pretty much faultless and the songs contains plenty of well-known numbers for those who like to sing (quietly) along.
OK folks, time for a tiny confession, I’ve always liked Darius Campbell, right from his small-screen appearance as Darius Danesh, singing reworked Brittany Spear’s hits on Popstars. With his charisma, vocal talent, good looks and larger-than-life stage presence he has found a natural home in musical theatre and was compelling as the intoxicating, but flawed male lead.
Darius may be the celebrity-name for this production, but Natasha Barnes was beyond impressive in the lead role. She brought the ideal combination of talent, true comedic ability, presence and relatability to this role and it goes without saying that she can really sing. Stepping into Streisand’s shoes is no mean feat, and to also be taking on a role where her predecessor had been so praised must have been a bit daunting but, Natasha made this role her own from her first “Hello, Gorgeous”, and at every turn seemed to meet and exceed the expectations of the delighted audience. She barely managed to make it fully onto stage for curtain call before the whole audience were on their feet. She appeared to be genuinely overwhelmed by the strength of the reception she received, I suspect she will need to get used to it. Remember her name, it won’t be long before you are hearing it again.
Overall this production is right up there among the very best of the post West End tours I’ve seen in recent years, and Natasha Barnes’s performance was stellar. If you get the chance to see it, don’t miss out.
I would have to rate it as 5 out of 5 (but if 6 out of 5 was an option, I’d have chosen that).
Rating: 5/5
Tickets cost from £15 to £45.50 (plus £2.85 transaction fee).
Funny Girl is at the Regent Theatre in Stoke from 28 March to 1 April 2017, for more information or to book tickets visit www.atgtickets.com/regent-theatre or call the box office on 0844 871 7649.
Regent Theatre, Piccadilly, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST1 1AP | 0844 871 7649
