Take That musical proves magic on memory lane trip
This week, for a glorious two hours, I got to feel like a teenage Take That fan all over again.
In a musical which spans the decades, The Band is based on women just like me, there’s plenty of us, whose puppy love for a boy band once dictated what they wore, listened to and thought about.
Our protagonist is Rachel, played with real warmth by young actress Faye Christall and, as she gets older by the equally relatable Rachel Lumberg. We first meet her in 1992 as she and her friends win a competition to see their favourite band. Though they’re never called as such, it is unmistakably Take That. Kangol hats: check. Curtain hairstyles: check. Dummy necklaces: check. Infectious pop hits: check, check, check.
In the early scenes, the score takes us back to the early days of Take That in all its back-flipping glory, with The Band performing brilliant renditions of A Million Love Songs, Back For Good, Could it Be Magic and Do What You Like.
The audience are on a high – so much so people were dancing along by the second song – and so are our five young friends who, alongside Rachel are played with a real sense of unity by Katy Clayton as Heather, Rachelle Diedericks as Debbie, Sarah Kate Howarth as Claire and Lauren Jacobs as Zoe.
But after the best night of their teenage lives, a catastrophic incident happens which breaks their bond and sends them on separate paths in life.
Fast forward 25 years and Rachel, though in a relationship with a man she loves (played with great comic timing by Martin Miller), has a void left by the loss of her strong friendships.
Penned by Olivier Award-winning writer Tim Firth, the female characters are incredibly well-drawn and their transition from optimistic teenagers to women worn down by the daily grind is brilliantly observed. Observations brought to life by the acting talents of Alison Fitzjohn as adult Claire, Emily Joyce as adult Heather and Jayne McKenna as adult Zoe.
Though The Band say little, they’re an impressive whirlwind of energy which unites the women and echoes their emotions, whether that be in good times or bad. By the end we were all waving our phones in the air like lighters – even the dads.