The Band - A New Musical By Tim Firth and the music of Take That
Milton Keynes Theatre 5th - 9th March 2019
This is not just another jukebox musical, the music instead of being strung together and a story loosely popped in for good measure, this one is a warmhearted and lovable story where the songs actually mean something and is an intrinsic part of it.
Tim Firth's story centres on five totally (and refreshingly) ordinary teenage girls who have an absolute obsession with a boy band - the music of The Band holds their friendship together like glue.
It's 1992, glimpsing into the bedroom of sixteen year old Rachel (Faye Christall) who lives for Top of the Pops, with hairbrush in hand belting out "Pray"...It's the nations number one. Her love for The Band is her only means of escaping the world, her insecurities and the sounds of her rowing parents..."louder boys!"
Jump twenty-five years later and the friends have lost touch, life journeys separating them. A chance winning entry to a radio station competition to see the come back tour of their beloved band in Prague, the friends reunite.
The antics of the forty-somethings results in some frollics in a fountain (that ends in them being arrested!) Very cleverly staged with The Band masquerading as the fountain statues coated in stone grey latex...I will say no more...
All of their energy from their youth returns as they remember the days when the highlight of the week was taping the TOTP Top 40 best bits on their cassette recorders!
The Band (AJ, Curtis, Yazdan, Nick, Sario) provide the soundtrack to the friends lives, the lads are great vocalists (and not bad dancers too) and do a fantastic job of replicating the sound of Take That. They have quite a following of their own after winning the TV talent show "Let it Shine" to star in this musical.
A highlight for me was when the forty something girls sing "Back for Good" to their younger selves, it sums up all of the passions you used to live for, the regret that comes with growing up and outgrowing the friendships that were once, your world.
In an interview with Rachel Lumburg (who plays the older Rachel) said "This musical, it's about Bands: The Band themselves, the Bands they girls wore on their wrist out of love for their music and the Band that bonds the friends together"
It is truly a fantastic production, with live music, spectacular sets by Kim Gavin and the team behind Take That's big area shows.
Tim Firth has said that "music makes time travellers of us all" and this is what The Band, the musical definitely does. With songs like "A Million Love Songs, It Only Takes A Minute and Rule The World" - get ready to wave your glowing mobile in the air in time with the music...Magical!
Don't miss this brilliant new musical, it will be one you will "Never Forget"!
Enjoy!
To book tickets go to www.atgtickets.com/venues/milton-keynes-theatre
Lily B X
