Love Midlands Theatre

A Fabulous, Fun Night Out Guaranteed With Jackie

16/3/2016

 
Picture
Jackie the Musical. Pamela Raith Photography.
If you read the Jackie magazine as a teenager in the 70s, this is the show for you. In essence it is a love story complete with the need to turn to an agony aunt for answers.  Add to that a selection of 70s music and you have a fun filled evening.

Jackie, the soon to be divorced 50 something woman, is sorting through her attic in preparation for the move out of the marital home. She finds a box of old Jackie magazines and starts to flick through them. Her alter ego appears in the form of her teenage self, full of excitement and wonder at what her life will hold, the young Jackie stays around offering advice straight from the pages of the magazine while the other Jackie, with the encouragement of her best friend and the local bar tender, tries to find love again. Does she find that love? Will her sons unrequited love be returned?

With a nifty bit of hairdressing and mirroring movements it is very clear from the start that Daisy Steere is the young Jackie to Janet Dibley’s current day Jackie. The dynamic between the two Jackie’s is an interesting one, it is one of balance, neither is the boss, they are equals, not the more experienced looking down on the naivety and youth of the other. Steere oozed with teenage exuberance and optimism.  There were many stand out moments in the show, Frankie (Bob Harms) and David (Michael Hamway) both took centre stage with powerful voices for a song or two, to tell you which ones will spoil the story. The dancing was intricate, energetic and snappy, it was hard to know where to look at times with the dancers all giving extremely polished performances. While the main set was static there were moving parts that transformed it for each scene, the lighting adding to this to fantastic effect.

I have never heard a reaction from the audience like the one I heard tonight when a plot twist revealed itself, the penny dropping was audible as it swept around the theatre. This to me showed how engaged the audience were, although that wasn't in any doubt. Almost every song had the audience singing along and swaying in their seats, when it came to the end and the obligatory musical medley curtain call, the whole theatre was on its feet dancing, clapping and singing. There were many knowing laughs too, the script was perfectly tuned to ladies of a certain age while still triggering laughs from other members of the audience.

Jackie the Musical is a jukebox musical; using songs from an era that many are nostalgic about, this is very likely to make it a hit as it tours around the country. Grab a group of friends and go along for a fabulous fun night out.

Jackie runs at Belgrade Theatre until 19 March.

Comments are closed.

    Love Midlands Theatre

    Sharing the latest theatre news and reviews around the Midlands.

    Archives

    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015

    Categories

    All
    Amateur Theatre
    Birmingham
    Coventry
    Love Midlands Theatre
    Professional
    Review
    Solihull
    Stafford
    Tamworth
    Theatre
    Wolverhampton

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Contact