Before seeing The Girls, I had heard a lot of buzz about the show. It had received extremely good reviews plus a few Olivier Award nominations. Another factor for me was that The Girls had been composed by Gary Barlow. I don't know a lot about Take That, but I adore Barlow's other musical 'Finding Neverland'. This show had a lot to live up to! I am very pleased to say that The Girls lived up to my expectations and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a really sweet and heartwarming show, with a nice feel-good factor. Adding to this, it also delivers a really powerful message of hope, acceptance and not always judging a book by its cover. The story follows a group of middle-aged women in Yorkshire who decided to make a nude calendar to raise money for a settee at the local hospital. It seemed like a wild idea, but they had hope and did not give up, despite how daunting it seemed. It's an inspiring tale that tells its audience to try new things and not give up, no matter how scary or unsettling it may be. After all, you only live once! The book of the show (written by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth) is fantastically written and is one of the best musical books I have seen since Groundhog Day. It's hilariously written and had the audience in stitches! At the performance I attended, a total of 6 understudies were performing (I wonder what the record is?). There was absolutely nothing to fear though; every single cast member was remarkable and very well cast. Cast members who stood out were Jenny Gayner who was understudying as Annie, Claire Moore as Chris, Claire Machin as Cora, Sophie-Louise Dann as Celia, Judith Street who was understudying as Jessie, Debbie Chazen as Ruth, James Gaddas as John, Josh Benson as Tommo and Ben Hunter as Danny. Each cast member seemed absolutely perfect for their role. They all gelled with each other extremely well. The set design consists of several mini wardrobes stacked on top of each other, which represent hills. If I'm honest, I didn't quite see the point of the set design. I feel as if it may have symbolised something, but I'm not quite sure. Having said that, it still did a good job and serviced the show well. Now for my one critique (it's not even really much of a critique, more an aberration)... I wasn't that stunned with the music. The music was not bad by any means, but it didn't leave any impact on me. There's only one song from The Girls which has stuck in my mind. The music isn't really a big deal though, as the book of the show makes up for it.
The featured star of The Girls is, drum roll please... CLAIRE MOORE!
As phenomenal as the cast are, this was a decision that came quite easy to me. I thought Claire was both hilarious and moving in the role of Chris. I personally felt that she had a large command of the stage. There was certainly never a dull moment during any of her scenes!
Now for my final verdict on The Girls. I give The Girls...
This rating was one that I struggled with, as it's very close to a 5 star, but went with four in the end. Sadly, The Girls closes on the 15th of July, so I highly recommend this one before it closes. If you see this show, there's a high chance you will leave feeling happy and inspired!
Think it should have got a higher rating? Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.
Thanks for reading!
-The Reviewer
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