NOW That’s What I Call A Musical will remind audiences of the power of pop music when it visits Milton Keynes this coming week, writes Georgina Butler.
This brand-new British musical celebrates 40 years of the chart-topping compilations brand NOW That’s What I Call Music, which has sold an estimated 200 million copies worldwide. It promises to weave a funny, heart-warming story around eighties tunes – including 'Gold', 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun', 'Tainted Love', 'Hey Mickey' and 'Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves'.
Birmingham, 1989. School friends Gemma and April are busy with very important business. They are planning their lives based on magazine quizzes and dreaming of snogging Rick Astley.
Birmingham, 2009. Gemma and April are confronted with their worst nightmare: the school reunion. They are dreading being under scrutiny and seeing old flames – until drama unfolds and everything from the past starts to make sense.
NOW That’s What I Call A Musical is written by award-winning comedian Pippa Evans, with direction and choreography by Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood (recently seen as the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz). Their intention is to take audience members back to the days of sharing your Walkman headphones with your best friend and dancing like no one is watching.
The show features songs from the likes of Whitney Houston, Wham!, Blondie, Tears For Fears and Spandau Ballet. So, theatregoers should expect all the greatest hits from the eighties, as well as an original story and fab-u-lous choreography.
Comedy actress and former EastEnders favourite Nina Wadia will star as Gemma, alongside Melissa Jacques (I Should Be So Lucky, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie) as April. For performances in Milton Keynes, they are being joined by eighties pop icon Sonia, who will perform her smash hit, 'Better The Devil You Know'.
Running time: Approximately 2 hours 30 minutes, including an interval.
May contain mild language and haze.
NOW That's What I Call A Musical is at Milton Keynes Theatre from Tuesday 12 to Saturday 16 November.
Georgina Butler is an editor, a dance writer and a ballet teacher. Visit https://georginabutler.co.uk and follow her on Twitter @GeorginaLButler and Instagram @glbdancewriter
Dance along for tickets at ATGTICKETS.COM/MiltonKeynes
