Why re-invent the wheel when it ain’t broke? Get set for a huge dose of nostalgia.
John Sullivan’s beloved TV sitcom has been redrawn a tad by his son Jim (who produced the spin-off series The Green Green Grass and Rock and Chips) and five-times BAFTA-winner Paul Whitehouse (The Harry Enfield Television Programme and The Fast Show) with numerous songs inserted (alongside the original Chas Hodges and John Sullivan’s “Only Fools and Horses” and “Hookey Street”) to warrant the seemingly now-mandatory ‘The Musical’ tagline.
It is really quite interesting how well received the piece is. It is gentle and entertaining—but then so would watching the boxset at home—but packed houses and standing ovations (well-deserved) says something for the affection the British public has for the Trotters and co. And also how well those national treasures are portrayed—so very carefully observed—as all are completely recognisable (most could be the ‘real thing’ if eyes are closed) but without falling into becoming pastiches of the adored original cast.
Alice Power’s detailed set is evocative. The high-rises tower over the grimy market place, the pub swivels into café, restaurant, hospital and more with Ian Scott’s lighting apposite.
The place is, of course, Cockney-packed Peckham (with a swift visit or two to Waterloo) in the '80s where Rodney is fast heading for the altar, Del carves out time from his quest to be-a-millionaire-this-time-next-year to seek love, while Marlene and Boycie have obstacles to overcome in their mission for a sprog. And wrapped around those quite thin plotlines are the familiar Nelson Mandela House and Nag’s Head interactions with plenty of nods for the initiated: Peckham Spring Water, Batman and Robin, chandelier, bar-leaning and a pocket watch to name a few.
Sam Lupton (Wicked, Little Shop of Horrors) is a veritable eternal optimistic Del Boy suffering fiscal turbulence and a droopy Eiffel Tower. He has the gestures, the voice, earnest ridiculousness, patter and pathos, trotting out the malapropisms and strangled French, channeling David Jason’s interpretation to a tee. Tom Major makes a superb professional stage debut as the gangly, awkward, 24-carat dipstick Rodney whose impending wedding to Cassandra (Call The Midwife’s Nicola Munns who doubles up as Marlene) is causing him angst.
Philip Childs (The Mousetrap) is beautifully paced as pork pie-hatted Grandad, while Georgina Hagen (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie) plays charismatic secret stripper Raquel with a down-to-earth manner, but head full of dreams; Craig Berry (The Bodyguard) has the mannerisms and that laugh down to a tee as pukka Freemason Boycie; Bradley John is Denzil, while a deadpan Lee Vg wrings every ounce of humour from the dim-witted Trigger whose medal is testament to having had the same broom for years with only a number of new heads and handles en route.
Menace is provided by Peter Watts (doubling as Mickey Pearce) and Darryl Paul (also Cripps and Mike) as the gangster, money-lending Driscoll brothers, while Gloria Acquaah-Harrison is Mrs Okooko, the feisty wedding fitter, and gives a fab rendition of Mick Hucknall and Neil Moss’s “Holding Back The Years”.
The shoe-horning in of the musical numbers, mostly penned by Sullivan junior and Whitehouse but with a couple of well-known others, is at times random and, perhaps, unnecessary. That said, Del Boy and Dating Agent (Richard J Hunt)’s “Bit Of A Sort” is great fun, Raquel’s “The Girl” is packed with pathos while Marlene’s “Tadpole Song” belies her heartache at the fertility clinic.
A surprisingly cushty evening, which certainly hit the spot with the fun-hungry fans.