PRETTY WOMAN – THE MUSICAL | UK TOUR @ EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE
★★★★★
“Welcome to Hollywood. What’s your dream?”
Based on JF Lawton’s 1990 Hollywood rom-com of the same name, Pretty Woman is the unlikely love story of billionaire businessman Edward Lewis and Hollywood Boulevard ‘Hooker’, Vivian Ward… but is Vivian a damsel in distress or a hero with a dream? Hiring her professional services for a week of meetings and social gatherings, Edward is about to find out as the pair discover themselves caught up in a romantic, whirlwind voyage of self-discovery.
With a score by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance and with a six-piece band pumping it out from the pit, the songs in this musical are an energising celebration of Eighties’ soft rock, a soundtrack of power ballads that boast instantly recognisable riffs and hooks and beats that never fail to get the feet tapping and, on an occasion or two, the hands clapping. From the uptempo opening number, Welcome to Hollywood, to the rocking There’s Something About Her, and from the melodic Freedom to the powerfully emotive You And I, not forgetting the gunning synth-vibes of I Can’t Go Back and the much teased title track, which leads to a good old fashioned sing along to finish the show, the music is king and this cast do it justice.
But then, when you have Amber Davies, Oliver Savile, Ore Oduba and Natalie Paris as your leads, you are in safe hands. In the neon glow of the Blue Banana Club and in the surrounds of the exclusive Beverly Wilshire Hotel the action unfolds and this quartet are faultless. In the roles made famous by Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, Savile and Davies as Edward and Vivian share an electric chemistry, strong vocals and a natural stage presence that makes them immensely watchable. Savile is a charming and vulnerable Edward, while Davies brings damaged determination to her Vivian. The result is a tender, funny and beguiling relationship.
‘A dream is like a map for your life…’ says Happy Man, the show’s triple-threat Cupid and it’s hard to imagine anyone other than the brilliant Ore Oduba as Happy Man and hotel owner Mr Thompson. Weaving his magic through the action, Oduba has made not just these roles his own, but the whole show. He brings a joie de vivre to the stage that is contagious while sporting an easy rapport that carries the audience with him as he dances, sings and slips from role to role with a cheeky nod and a wink.
Completing the foursome, Paris is brilliant as the blousy, bossy Kit De Luca, a street girl full of heart and compassion, however, a special mention must also go to Noah Harrison, whose cartoon-like bell-hop, Giulio, adds an extra layer of laughter to proceedings with hilarious physical comedy and spot on timing.
With clever, fluid scene changes worked into David Rockwell’s simple but effective staging and a rich, dynamic lighting design by Keith Posner and Philip S Rosenberg, director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell ensure that the two and a half hour production, including interval, flows smoothly and passes quickly. Blending comedy and emotion perfectly, Mitchell brings the same a lightness of touch to the big dance numbers making them lively, fun affairs that are never too fussy. He also does a wicked line in blackouts to spare audience blushes before the more raunchy moments raise temperatures too high.
There are many musicals about following your dream, few are as satisfying as Pretty Woman and this particular production is pretty fantastic in every way.
