A stage production for what I've accepted to be my favourite film of all time was never going to disappoint. I can say that, even after concluding that it wasn't the best show I've seen. That is the power of nostalgia and genuine 80s quality.
To be honest I didn't even know that this was going to be a musical - I expected songs from the movie OST of course, but nothing original. In many ways it was the songs that dragged the show - a result of my bias, I'm sure - and a lot of them seemed to have just been superfluous filler. Otherwise everything was spot on - the acting, singing and dancing made me want to join in (as all good musicals should) although while the production values were top notch, I did feel the show relied on video a tad too much - but that was more due to the nature of the story than lazy design. It almost felt like I was watching the original cast at times.
Being a stage production, some things had to go and other things were added. Some hit, and some missed and it made me genuinely sad that one of my favourite scenes was binned. By the end of the show I couldn't decide if my love for the movie enhanced or detracted from my appreciation of the show, but considering I'm still smiling I suspect it's the latter.
So definitely one for the fans, and perhaps for those new to the franchise given how the kid sitting in front of me reacted to the twists and turns. Recommended.
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