At the curtain call, Take That’s Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen, the producers of the show, performed live on stage with Lulu, singing Relight My Fire. You can imagine the audience reaction – it was electric, and everyone left on an excited high.

On a cold, dark January night in Salford, it’s natural to question if it would feel as good second time around, with simply the cast and the BBC Let It Shine’s talent winners to sing Take That’s hits? The answer – a resounding yes. While I loved the show first time around, on a second viewing it’s even better.

The cast, far from being road weary, still bounce with energy. The band – AJ Bentley, Curtis T Johns, Nick Carsberg, Yazdan Qafouri and Harry Fabulous Brown – have grown into their roles and appear more confident to hold the stage as pop-icons. And, no, I’ve not just fallen into a boyband daydream, tempting as that may be – he really is called Fabulous.

There are some spectacularly staged concert scenes and the fun opening scene, where the boys pop-up from the furniture of a fan’s bedroom feels much slicker.

Two of the young female cast, Lauren Jacobs as Zoe and Rachelle Diedericks as Debbie, also make impressive professional debuts in the show and have grown into their roles in a way that makes the friendships celebrated feel more genuine.

It is a jukebox musical in so far as all the songs are well-known Take That hits, but here the music forms more of a soundtrack to the action, rather than being manipulated into Tim Firth’s humorous and relatable story.

At its heart, it is the band of friendship and not the pop band that dominates the narrative. There is something for everyone here. If you’re young you can relate to the young teens crazy about their first crushes on a boy band, and the band itself is a treat. If you lived through the early 1990s, when the show opens, it’s a huge nostalgia trip. Not only does the music take you back, the technology, or lack of it, does too. In this pre-digital age, the girls miss a train and can’t pay for a bus because they’ve spent all their cash on buying candy dummies to suck on. There are no selfies or Facebook updates, their joint memories are all they have to remember their first gig.

Fast forward 25 years and where are the girls now? Like a comeback tour, the friends reunite as they try once again to fulfil their dream of meeting the boys. Rachel Lumberg, Alison Fitzjohn, Emily Joyce and Jayne McKenna as the 40-something fans, take us on a roller-coaster of emotions that has us crying one minute and laughing the next.

Mixing the excitement of a pop concert with the warmth of big hug from your best friend, it is an uplifting, feel-good winner.

The Band Musical is at The Lowry, Salford Quays from 16-26 January 2019. See website for full tour details.

Read our interview with the show’s producers: Take That’s Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Marc Owen.

Read our interview with the show’s young female cast – Faye Christall, Katy Clayton, Rachelle Diedericks, Sarah Kate Howarth and Lauren Jacobs.

Read our interview with the band of the show – AJ Bentley, Curtis T Johns, Nick Carlsberg, Yazdan Qafouri and Sario Solomon.

The post Take That’s The Band Musical at The Lowry Theatre, Review appeared first on Quays Life.

Telling the story of a group of friends and fellow fans, the cast of The Band is also a tight-knit group. The ‘more mature’ members of the cast look out for the younger boys and girls of the company, while writer Tim Firth and Take That frontman and one of the show’s producers Gary Barlow have known each other since childhood. Then of course there are Gary’s fellow producers: Robbie, Mark and Howard, who you could also say go back a bit.

Top it off with the five boys found on Let it Shine, the Saturday night telly talent show especially for The Band, plus established producing duo David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers, and one way or another friendship is the universal thread that binds the project together, which is perhaps part of its success. Certainly the team effort, shared laughter and warmth are palpable from the moment I join Faye (Rachel), Katy (Heather), Rachelle (Debbie), Sarah Kate (Claire) and Lauren (Zoe).

“It is incredible,” agrees Katy. “People have a cracking night out and make new friends. We also see these amazingly dedicated fans who go from venue to venue. They come to stage door and tell us how much that the characters resonate with them.”

“People really do find friends when they come to this show and I find that really sweet,” adds Faye, as Rachelle grins and admits that as this is her first professional job it is going to be a pretty tough act to follow.

“I feel so lucky! It’s a great script, we’ve got great audiences and it is a great cast,” she enthuses. “These guys are like my big sisters; we are a unified group and I do think that transfers to the audience.”

Directed by Kim Gavin and Jack Ryder, the story follows five girls who grow up with a boyband in 1992. For the friends, ‘the band’ is everything. Reunited 25 years on, they once again set out to fulfil their dream of meeting their heroes. Including the music of Take That, but not about the world-famous boy band, the girls reminisce back to the start of the tour.

“It has just been a whirlwind!” Wide-eyed at the memory Sarah Kate describes the ‘relentless excitement’ of the run-up to opening the show in Manchester. “Every place we go to gains a bit of momentum, but I can remember the first time so intensely.”

“Before then we felt a combination of sick with nerves and great pride in the show,” Katy chips in. “For it to finally be put in front of an audience was just so exciting. The great thing is that the buzz is still there; the butterflies are still there every opening night.”

“When we played Llandudno a woman stopped me in the car park and asked if she could hug me. She said that my story in the show had happened to her and her friends and she really related to it,” says Rachelle, as Faye nods in agreement and jumps in:

“When people that come up and say ‘you played me’ it feels like a real responsibility, but it’s wonderful to know that they relate to the story and that we tell it well.”

“It is a show that seems to affect and reunite people. It makes people nostalgic for the friendships and ties they had at school,” Sarah Kate voices her thoughts while signing a programme for my daughter, who at twelve doesn’t really know much Take That but adored the show anyway.

But it seems that no matter how much the show publicity explains that it is not the story of Take That, people are still surprised; ‘I wasn’t expecting that!’ being the most familiar refrain.

“It’s an emotional story and it’s definitely not a jukebox musical,” says Katy emphatically, “but nostalgia is a big part of it because people have songs that are part of the soundtrack to their lives.”

“The songs are used to emote the story, not to advance it,” suggests Lauren.

“But everyone gets right into it, twinkles Faye. “Dance moves – the lot! In Pray and Relight My Fire people really join in.”

Of course no show can run this long without encountering the occasional problem, but as they top each other’s stories of costume malfunctions (if you see the show and an actor appears to be waggling their tongue at someone else then you’re witnessing code for ‘costume cock-up – check yourself!), technical bloopers, ghost sightings and almost-falling-off-the-stage dramas, it is clear that the girls are having a ball. Apart from their families, is there, I wonder, anything they miss?

“I always check to see where the closest Pret is to the theatre otherwise I miss my crayfish and avocado sandwiches,” says Sarah Kate.

For Faye it’s all about home comforts. “Sometimes I just miss sitting on a couch,” she muses.

“And if the Wi-Fi in the digs isn’t very good then I can’t catch up on Neighbours,” wails Katy.

“At home I have a huge bear called Teddy. He’s too big to tour and so I miss him,” sighs Rachelle.

“A guaranteed decent shower! The one I’m in now feels like I’m being whipped,” grumbles Lauren.

It is all pretty down to earth stuff, but that’s who they are: down-to-earth girls who just happen to be supremely talented and who have been entrusted with a wonderful story to tell.

With Manchester being home turf for Lauren, Katy and Sarah, the girls are especially looking forward to Salford.

“I have very vivid memories of being around three-years-old and watching Alice in Wonderland in Manchester. They looked so pretty and I wanted to do what they did so much,” Katy smiles at the memory of her toddler self. “Getting to open in Manchester was incredible; I can’t put it into words. All the years of training, the endless lifts my parents gave me to classes – it all paid off. To have my family there and for them to hear that insane response was just amazing. Salford will be the same,” she says, a mile-wide smile revealing how significant support on home turf is to her.

As I wend my way home after the evening performance I do so a full heart, having been reminded what – and who – truly matters. I’ve shed a few tears, but I have also sung myself hoarse and laughed myself silly. Thanks, girls. I’ll definitely Take That.

The Band Musical is at The Lowry, Salford Quays from 16-26 January 2019 and on tour until March 2019. For full tour details visit www.thebandmusical.com

The post Life is a whirlwind for the young female cast of Take That musical The Band appeared first on Quays Life.

Cast through the national TV talent show Let it Shine, during which Gary Barlow scoured the country to find a young boy band to play members of the ‘band’ of the title, Curtis, Yazdan, AJ, Nick and Sario found themselves catapulted into the limelight and being mentored by one of the most successful boy bands of all time.

“Two-hundred-and-eighty shows later we’re still alive and it’s been a whirlwind!” laughs Curtis, admitting that being in a full-scale musical has been eye-opening. “The biggest challenge for me has been the intense choreography and having to sing and dance at the same time, but it has been amazing.”

“Wonderful,” agrees Yazdan (Yaz). “I love musicals, but especially this musical! It’s so real and natural. Every song is integrated into the action, so it is seamless. It always works.”

The Band is directed by Kim Gavin and Jack Ryder and sees Take That songs cleverly woven into a story by Tim Firth, who also co-wrote The Calendar Girls musical with Gary Barlow. It follows the lives of five 16-year-old friends for whom in 1992 ‘the band’ is everything; 25 years on the women set out once again to fulfil their dream of meeting their heroes.

“Some people say that they don’t like musicals, but this is different. If you have any reservations or preconceptions, throw them away and just come! You will leave feeling amazing, I promise,” says Yaz.

“And,” Curtis is keen to interject, “while many things in the world right now don’t focus on simplicity like friendship, anxieties and human interactions, our show really does. Weight issues, sexuality, anxiety – it’s all there – and Tim Firth makes it so relatable. So many people come and tell us that they relate to the characters and the story. It gives people a sense of identification as well as making them laugh.

“That’s Tim’s genius. He takes a big subject and makes it real and warm. Everything in this show is balanced by honesty and humour and that gives it integrity: especially to Northern audiences. It has that down to earth sense. I can say that because I’m a Northerner!”

When it comes to the cast, the boys are happy to be outnumbered by girl power. Five younger actresses play the teenagers of the piece, with their older selves played by established and hugely experienced actresses.

“Working with these women is an experience that has just been a joyous learning curve,” says Yaz. “Watching them, speaking to them – they helped me so much. They are so amazing at what they do and every performance they inspire me to push myself. I feel so honoured.”

Curtis adds: “They are strong individuals and they are so good at what they do. It’s a pleasure to work with people you feel so comfortable with and can learn from.”

The value of lifelong friendship is a theme that runs through the heart of the story and I’m curious to know what the boys think about the narrative and its effects. Yaz pauses to consider how best to express himself.

“Our musical showcases these normal women and their friendship,” he says slowly. “It’s a rare but wonderful story. Older women are so under-represented in theatre and so to be part of something that makes a difference is special. It’s an empowering show for women because all the female characters are so diverse and yet so relatable.”

Asking the boys what their personal highlights of the tour to date are, elicits a united response: opening night in Manchester, the culmination of months of work, and having family in the audience.

“My mum always explodes with pride! I love strong women and my mum is the strongest, most beautiful and most amazing woman I will ever know. She is my rock. It’s all about family for me; Mum, Dad and younger brother – they have nurtured me since day one,” says Yaz, who at the age of four came to the UK with his parents as asylum seekers.

“And the times when Take That come and perform with us are pretty amazing,” laughs Curtis. “We literally have the best front row ticket being on stage with them. I am such a fan. Our choreographer would shoot me, but when Take That are on stage with us I forget to watch what my feet are doing because I am too busy staring at them!”

So, what do they miss when they are touring?

“My friends and family; that sense of normality,” says Curtis. “This job gives you a very elevated position; people want autographs and selfies a stage door and while that is lovely, it is very peculiar to me and difficult to process.”

Yaz nods his agreement but confesses that home cooking is also an absence he feels keenly. “I’ve never lived away from home before so I miss my mum or dad cooking me something after the show,” he sighs, as I warn him that putting this in print may result in a stampede of fans to stage doors bearing culinary treats.

Great company, insanely talented and utterly gorgeous, the boys are also sweet, kind and funny, making them utterly irresistible. Add in a Take That soundtrack, a cracking story and brilliant acting and you’ve got a show that is the equivalent of musical gold. And what do we do with gold? Yep, we let it shine…

The Band is at The Lowry, Salford Quays from 16-26 January 2019. See website for full tour details.

Read our interview with the show’s producers: Take That’s Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Marc Owen.

Read our review of the show when it premiered at The Opera House, Manchester in 2017.

The post Let it Shine winners are sparkling in Take That musical The Band appeared first on Quays Life.