Greatest Days is the latest jukebox musical to be doing the rounds, touring the UK throughout 2023. Rather than telling the tale of the band – as dramatic and as apt as that would be given the show was previously known as The Band – Greatest Days, written by award winning Tim Firth, focuses on the fans and the music that forms their life long backing track, using the music of Take That as a vehicle to explore female- especially teenage- friendship.
16 year old Rachel (Olivia Hallett), Debbie (Mary Moore), Heather (Bayley Hart standing in for Kitty Harris), Zoe (Hannah Brown) and Claire (Mari McGinlay) have the world at their fingertips after having the time of their lives at their first gig. 25 years later and the girls have gone their separate ways until Rachel (Jennifer Ellison) wins a competition to see the same band in Athens and takes the opportunity to reunite the group.
Both groups are vibrant and close-knit, the elder transforming back into giggly naughty schoolgirls. The adult cast (Rachel Marwood, Holly Ashton, and Jamie-Rose Monk) build well on the characters established by their younger counterparts, the Zoe’s especially well matched in their mannerisms. They give a somewhat predictable story emotional substance with excellent vocals and an especially touching rendition of Want You Back.
While pleasant enough to listen to, the boys are nothing special vocally, their energy only really coming into their own in the concert-like scenes where light and sound unite to create a lively showstopper. But that makes sense when you realise it’s not really about the band: Rachel is the superstar of her own life. They’re simply the Greek chorus, as well as the muscle to manipulate the simple but effective pyramid of marble-esque stairs that move and rearrange to create arenas, airports and more.
Just Dave (Alan Stocks) is another background character permanently present in the girls’ lives as grouchy caretaker, bus driver, flight attendant and everything in between.
There’s a sadness to the story; the hope and optimism of youth colliding with the reality of adulthood – Claire destined for the Olympics now sees more Doritos than diving boards, aspiring fashion designer Heather resorts to teaching textiles, and academic Zoe has spent decades doing her four children’s homework over achieving her own degree. However their reunion shows that they may have spent their school girls dreaming of weddings but the strongest bond is between best friends.
Directed by Stacey Haynes and Tim Firth, the entire production is an homage to the power of music and the community it creates and is also a testament to the impact Take That has had in their decades of pop – I’ve never been an active listener of the band but yet knew every single song.
Greatest Days is at the Curve until 28th October, find out more here https://www.curveonline.co.uk/whats-on/shows/greatest-days/ ****
Katie Reviews 