Regent Theatre plays host to the theatrical remake of the classic BBC sitcom, ‘Only Fools & Horses’ on the latest leg of its UK tour. The TV series originally aired in 1981 and ran until 2003 amassing 64 episodes filled to the brim with instantly recognisable characters, fantastic storylines, fabulous jokes and making household names out of the cast as well as adding a few new catchphrases to the history books.
The musical originally opened in 2019, written by John Sullivan’s son, Jim along with comedian Paul Whitehouse. It ran for over 1000 performances until 2023 where shortly after, it announced the UK tour that it is embarking on today.
Set in 1989, Rodney and Cassandra are making wedding plans, Boycie and Marlene are looking to conceive and Del Boy joins a dating agency as does aspiring actress Raquel. It compresses a lot into the two hours, calling on classic lines and parts of the show but doesn’t lean on that too much. The score does throw in the favourites from the show (Holding Back The Years and Hooky Street) but adds tracks from Bill Withers, Chas and Dave as well as original songs written by Sullivan and Whitehouse amongst others.
Firstly, Alice Power’s set is fantastic. Whether its the iconic flat of Del Boy, the Nags Head pub or the bustling Peckham streets, you are instantly transported, with clever videography on a screen on set adding to the effect.
The characters are a lot to live up to and etched in sitcom history, but each of the cast are equal to the task. The dialogue between Sam Lupton and Tom Major as Del and Rodney is so fast paced, with one-liner following one-liner. Stoke-on-Trent born Philip Childs’ timing as Grandad is spot on, chiming in with wisecracks just at the opportune moment, but also fantastic during the hospital scene. The chemistry between the three is evident and they are great as the Trotters.
Nicola Munns and Georgina Hagen play Cassandra and Raquel respectively. Both do a sterling job and dare I say, they add an extra dimension to those characters. Munns also play’s Marlene alongside Craig Berry as Boycie, both scarily alike to their on-screen counterparts, emulating their personality, characteristics and of course, Boycie’s famous laugh.
Kieran Andrew faithfully plays iconic ‘Trigger’, Bradley John as Denzil and Peter Watts plays Mickey Pearce. Watts also doubles as Danny Driscoll alongside Darryl Paul as Tony Driscoll. Gloria Acquaah-Harrison plays Mrs. Obooko which completes the main cast.
There are a number of really strong vocal performances. ‘A Bit Of A Sort’ is a particular first half comedy highlight with Del and the dating agent (Richard J Hunt), alongside Grandad and the ensemble’s ‘Where Have All The Cockney’s Gone?’. The second half sees Gloria Acquaah-Harrison with a touching performance of ‘Holding Back The Years’ and Marlene and Boycie really shine during ‘The Tadpole Song’.
Its a faithful adaptation, packed with fantastic character acting and is lots of fun and nostalgia. It’s certainly ‘lovely jubbly’. It’s on until 7th December with Wednesday and Saturday matinees. Tickets are available from the box office or online at https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/only-fools-and-horses-the-musical/regent-theatre/
