Chicago The Musical At Royal And Derngate, Northampton Review

Reviewed by Janine Rumble

Last night, I got to watch the amazing Chicago The Musical at Royal & Derngate in Northampton. What a show! What a production! What amazing performers! I left the theatre with my friend singing the songs and trying (badly) to recreate some of the dance moves we saw on stage.

Chicago The Musical is well known throughout the world on both stage and screen. It is set in the late 1920’s Chicago around the clubs, prison and lives of women in prison and their slick lawyer. It tells the story of two women, both murderers, who are in prison and whose lawyer is trying to get them released. It stars Coronation Street’s Faye Brookes as Roxie Hart, pop star Sinitta as Matron ‘Mama’ Morton, TV star Darren Day as Billy Flynn, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Divina De Campo as Mary Sunshine, and West End stars Djalenga Scott as Velma Kelly and Joel Montague as Amos Hart. All of them brought their own version of the characters well known from the film of the same name. Each of the cast have amazing voices and dance skills. It was high octane throughout and how they all kept their energy levels up all the way through the show without the energy levels dipping was amazing.

The ensemble cast were amazing and mesmerizing to watch and they really made the show what it was with their dark, sultry dances and costumes. How they kept in perfect time with the music was just technically stunning. I was in awe at what a truly amazing production it was. It was so slick and so simple, but a true work of art.

The set was very dark, very simple, using ladders and chairs as their main props and it was great to have the orchestra on stage throughout the performance. I loved their participation throughout the show. Very ingenious. The music was amazing, as was the orchestra and this really added to the feel of the show.

The costumes were very revealing, but added to the darkness of the topic. The whole stage was lit very dark, which added to the feelings and lives of the women throughout the show.

Royal and Derngate is a lovely theatre perfectly situated in the middle of Northampton town centre. It is easy to get to and parking is just yards down the road. The staff are always nice, polite and helpful. The shop and bars cater for all tastes, at reasonable prices. The facilities are clean and tidy, as is the theatres themselves. Access for disabled persons is brilliant as well. During my visit, I saw plenty of hand sanitising stations and all staff were wearing masks. You are encouraged to wear a face mask when moving round the theatre, with many choosing to wear their mask during the performance. Being my first visit to the theatre since Covid began, it did feel very strange being in a theatre with so many people and sat next to people, so I wore my mask. Before my visit I was sent my tickets via e-ticket, which was very handy and made it a quick entrance into the theatre and the email contained lots of useful information and advice regarding the visit, which I found to be very informative.

Rating: I give this show 5 out of 5 stars. A must watch, especially if you are a fan of musicals and even if you are not, it is most definitely a spectacle to behold.

Chicago The Musical is on at Royal & Derngate until Saturday 9th October.

Tickets for the show start at £29.95.

For more information or to book tickets please visit Chicago – Royal & Derngate (royalandderngate.co.uk)  or call the box office on 01604 624811.

19-21 Guildhall Road, Northampton, NN1 1DP