Shirley Valentine

Milton Keynes Theatre 27th March - 1st April 2017

Shirley is a Liverpool housewife.  Her kids have flown the nest and now her life consists of lugging shopping bags home in the rain, cooking dinner for her husband...and talking to the wall in her kitchen.

Where has her life gone? Where has that carefree, wild Shirley Valentine gone?  Is she just plain old Shirley Bradshaw now? What has she got left to look forward to?  These are all questions she asks the wall on a daily basis!

Then, out of the blue, her best friend offers her a trip to Greece for two weeks.  Shirley is torn...should she go? How can she? Would her husband even notice?  Secretly she packs her bags in readiness to head to the sun...

When she gets there, she discovers something very unexpected, she finds and falls in love with herself - Shirley Valentine.

Willy Russell's heart-warming comedy made famous by Pauline Collins, now enjoying its 30th anniversary, stars Jodie Prenger in the first revival of this wonderful story.

BBC TV's "I'd Do Anything" winner Jodie Prenger gives an absolutely fantastic performance as the bored housewife.  Her clever and well timed delivery was superb, you almost forget she is on the stage on her own throughout the production!

The kitchen set in the first act is the perfect setting for cooking "chips and eggs" (even though it's a Thursday and on a Thursday it just has to be steak and chips...however, this particular Thursday the steak was fed to a neighbours dog!)

The second act the stage is transformed into a Greek shore (although this was a little disappointing with what looked like huge plastic mounds for rocks and a wrinkled aqua marine backdrop for sea and sky.)

Saying that, it did not detract from the brilliance of Prenger's ability to hold the audience in the palm of her hand.

Jodie Prenger's portrayal of not only Shirley, but the other characters she 'interacts' with whilst telling her story was absolutely brilliant.  Prenger was definitely deserving of the standing ovation she received.

There are lots of laughs to be had in this delightful comedy - a great evenings entertainment.

Enjoy!

Lily B x

Tickets are on sale now!  Book at Milton Keynes Theatre Box Office, call 0844 871 7652 (bkg fee) or visit www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes  (bkg fee)