Only Fools & Horses: The Musical at Royal & Derngate Northampton Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Zoey Caldwell
I grew up watching TV gold, comedies like Fawlty Towers and of course Only Fools & Horse. Childhood memories of my dad in tears of laughter at the exploits of Derick and Rodney Trotter. I still find myself reminiscing with re-runs of the absolute classic on Comedy Gold. Therefore, I was delighted to be able to attend the hit musical at the Royal and Derngate, Northampton.
The theatre fully embraced the theme with staff wearing a flat cap in homage to the wheeler dealer himself, Del Boy.
Before the show even began the detail in the set was amazing, with lots of intricate details to take you right back to the iconic TV show. The show begins with the famous theme tune, set in the market and one by one the classic characters join the stage- it is incredible the level of detail the casting team must have followed because each classic character is spot on!
Tom Major’s portrayal of Rodney is cosmic- gangly, awkward and eager to break free from the life he has with Del & Grandad in Nelson Mandela House. The musical is set just before Rodder’s and Casandra’s wedding, with Rodney desperate to get £2000 for a deposit on a flat. Sam Lupton is incredible as Del, it is hard to imagine anybody other than David Jason playing the role, but Sam encompasses the character with fabulous detail. Grandad, Del, Boycie, Rodney and Trigger sound spookily like the original cast- it is as if they have studied the TV show intently.
Before the show, I was a little concerned how they would turn the TV classic into a musical, but the concerns did not last- each cast member was superb, and the addition of the songs added to the comedy.
A few of my favourite laugh out loud songs were Bit of a Sort, Gaze into my Ball and The Tadpole Song. As well as the comedic value I was quite blown away by the beautiful rendition of Holding Back the Years sung by Gloria Acquaah- Harrison, such a powerful performance, quite moving and was very fitting to the mood at that point.
As well as the incredible performances of Sam & Tom musical would not be possible without the other family ties and friendships that are in the original show. Grandad (Philip Childs) is fabulous, his timing and portrayal of poor old Grandad is outstanding, listen out for Boycie’s laugh- incredible and contagious but I do have to mention Trigger played by Lee VG- hilarious. They have included the comedy gold clips- Triggers broom, the blind date and it is Trigger’s showcase in Gaze into my Ball, I am so glad that they have not changed the main characters and Trigger is fabulous- his inability to remember Rodney’s name, will never get old.
In keeping with staying close to the original cast- Del Boy is spectacular- the script is so written, and every French word known to man is thrown in with Del Boy’s ignorance to the words meaning- just classic. For those with a sensitive disposition- watch out for the scene with Del in the silk kimono- truly hilarious and Del really should pay more attention to what Mike the barman does with the bar! If you know, you know!
The entire cast were amazing, the scenery is brilliant, the script is hilarious! The Only Fools & Horses classic has been treated with the respect it deserves- the original storylines and jokes have been included. The van even makes an appearance- this pleased the audience greatly.
Don’t be a plonker, go watch this absolute diamond of a show!
Rating: 5/5
Ticket Cost from £34 plus £3.50 transaction fee
Only Fools & Horses is at Royal & Derngate, from Monday 2nd June to Saturday 7th June for more information or to book tickets visit https://royalandderngate.co.uk/whats-on/only-fools-and-horses/
or call 01604 624811
Royal & Derngate, 19-21 Guildhall Rd, Northampton, NN1 1DP