Tell Me On A Sunday, Sheffield Lyceum Review

‘Reviewed by Angela Savage

‘Tell me on a Sunday’, with music written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Don Black, is a one-woman musical. It has been performed by a number of actors over the years and was originally devised as a television piece for Marti Webb. Set in the 1980’s, it tells the story of a romantic English girl, Emma, from Muswell Hill, who travels to the USA and it charts the ups and downs of her life in love, following her from New York to California and back again to NYC. Prenger herself told the audience that both Lloyd Webber and Black consider this account of the show as the definitive version.

Jodie Prenger plays Emma with optimism and naivety; we follow her struggles in relationships as she works her way through men who are unsuitable for her, and watch as she picks herself up again when they fail in turn. Prenger plays Emma with ease and sincerity, showing her vulnerability as well as her positive attitude after finding a new man. The story itself is a little dated, and I found myself wishing Emma would forget about these incompatible men and find a different purpose to her life. (editor’s note – this is the reviewer’s opinion) I enjoyed the moments when Emma wrote to her mum (obviously in the days before email and mobile phone messaging!), and told her the stories of her adventures, the ups and the downs. Prenger made this relationship come alive with a humorous and often moving performance, I loved her Northern charm! Her natural warmth means she connects to the audience and tells the story through her powerful singing voice.

‘Tell me on a Sunday’ lasts for only 60 minutes, and Prenger maintains her performance throughout. As the only actor in this piece of musical theatre, this is no mean feat. Her positive energy and powerful voice means that you are always engaged and it never gets boring. The show itself has fantastic music, with many recognisable favourites such as ‘Take that look off your face’ and ‘Tell me on a Sunday’. These create the arch of the story, as the whole experience that Emma is going through is told through song.

I enjoyed the simplicity of the set, with a human sized model of the iconic New York city scape, including the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty, that was cleverly lit to create moments of drama. The music was expertly played by the band of musicians on stage behind Prenger herself and this adds to the overall performance as the relationship between the musicians and performer is direct.

The second half was equally as enjoyable. Prenger answered questions from the audience with a relaxed and easy manner, alongside treating us to a medley of Lloyd Webber numbers. The songs were performed beside her understudy, Jodie Beth Meyer. Meyer’s voice was pure and beautiful, and complemented Prenger’s voice in the duet. Prenger is entertaining and engaging company; she answered the questions about her experiences with charm and fun, and the singing was just lovely. It was the perfect end to the show and we left singing the songs!

Rating: 4/5.

Tickets cost from £15

Tell me on a Sunday is at Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield from Tuesday 31st August to Saturday 4th September 2021, for more information or to book tickets visit https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events/tell-me-on-a-sunday or call the box office on 0114 249 6000
55 Norfolk Street, Sheffield, S1 1DA