The Official Take That Musical Greatest Days at King’s Theatre, Glasgow Review

Reviewed by Deborah Mackenzie

Take That Musical – Greatest Days (the Official)
Never have theatre seats been so restricting! From the moment the ‘boys’ came on stage singing, with fantastic dance routines they gave us a show not to be missed. The audience joined in with clapping along, trying to do the dance moves from their seats as they were transported back in time to the 90s.
Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Take That’s first ever UK number 1 sing Pray, Greatest Days features more than 15 record breaking ‘Take That’ songs. Greatest Days was previously called ‘The Band’ written by Tim Firth has been renamed to co-inside with the release of the movie ‘Greatest Days’ featuring songs from the most successful boy band of all time, Take That. Some of the songs included: Pray; Could it Be Magic and Relight My Fire, to name a few.
Greatest Days is a funny and emotional story of five 16-year-old girls, Rachel, Debbie, Claire, Zoe and Heather, who live and breathe for the ‘The Band’. Rachel’s home life is not the best and her escape from her unsettled life is drowning it out by listen to their tracks. Top of the Pops, cassette decks and hairbrush microphones, the girls chatter excitedly about the bands new release the night before, going over and over the dance routine.
Debbie who seems to be the glue of the group, enters a competition and wins tickets for them all to go and see ‘The Band’. Excitedly they make arrangements and travel to Manchester to see them live. After a magical evening together, Debbie was able to get some wrist bands for each of them, time got the better of them and they missed their train. They promised on their wrist bands never to lose touch, but a tragedy takes place that split the group up. 25 years later Rachel (Jennifer Ellison) enters a competition to see the reforming of The Band; her partner thinks that it would be a great weekend away for them and another couple, but Rachel remembers that vow taken all those years ago and reaches out to the remaining 3 to go see The Band in Athens.
I believe everyone can relate to this storyline, for me it brought back memories of a childhood far away in Africa and how now friends are scattered over the world. But having reunited with a best friend after 40 years, the joy and catching up is a rollercoaster of emotions. This wonderfully written tale by Firth is just like this, you ‘become’ one of the girls and are swept up in their wild funny, sad and regretful lives, bringing laughter and tears.
The Band was powerful in their singing and dancing routines; yet they were the catalyst bringing the emotions to life as they drew close to the girls at pivot points of their journeys. Each member of the cast, both girls and The Band, became their characters and brought the uniqueness of themselves making it difficult to choose a favourite.
I recommend seeing Greatest Days; especially if you are a Take That fan, but in reality, a fan of boy bands of the 90s and how magical those days were with Top of The Pop and recording songs on cassette. This show is one I will not forget for a very long time.

Rating: 4/5

ATTENTION: Show has bright flashing lights.

The show is on from Monday 21st August 2023 until Saturday 26th August 2023

Tickets cost from £18.00 (Subject to a Transaction Fee of £2.85)

For more information or book tickets please visit https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/greatest-days/kings-theatre-glasgow