An Officer and a Gentleman the Musical at Theatre Royal Nottingham

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Sue Rumble

Intro
This was a heart warming story set to great music by artists from the 80’s including Madonna, Bon Jovi, Cyndi Lauper and Blondie.

Venue & facilities
The theatre is located in the heart of Nottingham, easily accessible by train, tram and bus and close to a number of city centre car parks. There is a bar & café for pre show food and drinks and refreshments at the interval.

Price & Value
The price range of tickets, in my opinion, is extremely good value for money given the quality and length of performance. Prices are dependent on performance day and time and also where you decide to sit.

The Plot
This musical is based on the 1982 American romantic drama film set at Aviation Officer Candidate School in Florida. It is a simple love story telling the lives of the trainees and the ordinary lives of some of the people who live in the nearby town.

Review
Wow – what an extremely powerful and emotional show. The story was told in a simple way but the passion shown by the actors alongside the amazing singing made the audience fell that they were part of it and involved in the lives of those on stage.

Many of the songs made you want to singalong as they were all iconic songs from the 1980’s and the cast had the audience singing along a few times which means a great atmosphere. The staging was very understated but effective and worked extremely well for where the scene was taking place. Costumes were fitting to the flight school, factory and bars – nothing outrageous but drew you in to the story.

Every member of the cast were brilliant – singing and dancing amazing but I do need to mention a few specifically. Gunnery Sargeant Foley – played by Jamal Kane Crawford was everything you would expect from a trainer in the forces even making digs at the trainees after they had become officers – he made a real impact. Zack Mayo (played by Luke Baker), the main character made you feel that you were part of his life and you lived the many ups and downs with him. His singing and dancing were amazing. Paula Pokrifki – played by Georgia Lennon, was also brilliant in getting the audience involved in her life story and you went through all the emotions with her. Her voice was absolutely incredible – singing those great songs with passion. Sid Worley (played by Paul French) had a story that brought tears to my eyes – I just wanted things to end up ok for him. Having these feelings during a performance just shows how good the actors are. His girlfriend Lynette Pomeroy (played by Sinead Long) also had a brilliant voice and told her story incredibly well. Another of the trainees up against it with the gunnery Sargeant was Casey Seegar – played by Olivia Foster-Browne. She gave a brilliant performance with amazing voice and again you wanted to be there to help her through.

All in all a brilliant show – definitely one to see and lives up to the film 100%

Rating: 5/5

Price of Tickets – £19.50 – £57.50
Running Time – 2hrs 30minutes including an interval until

Officer and a Gentlemen is on until Saturday 3rd August 2024
Rating out of 5 – 5 out of 5
Buy tickets – trch.boxoffice@nottinghamcity.gov.uk  https://trch.co.uk/whats-on/an-officer-and-a-gentleman/
Website – www.trch.co.uk
Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall
Theatre Square, Nottingham. NG1 5ND
Tel : 0115 989 5555