Friendsical

Two stars

Pavilion Theatre, Worthing, Tuesday, October 1

FOR A self confessed Friends enthusiast I could only feel sceptical when I saw this show advertised so I’m glad my expectations weren’t set too high.

As a big fan of the TV show and a lover of musicals I sat in the theatre and five minutes in was quite frankly disappointed.

It may call itself a parody, but it’s a collection of Friends trivia with some well placed jokes at best.

There’s subtle mickey taking, mostly pointed at Rachel’s bust but it’s basically just the retelling of everything that’s ever happened in the TV show.

They managed to cram ten seasons worth of main storylines, popular catchphrases and most memorable moments in to 90 minutes, intertwined in a mixed chronological order which - to give them credit - is not an easy task.

But does a summary of a 10 season show make a good musical?

The songs kept the storyline flowing but didn’t really hit the spot, with nothing very memorable to take away.

The cast had obviously closely observed the people they were playing and their mannerisms were recognisable.

The actors playing Monica and Chandler were by far the most impressive and had their characters well refined, helped by the fact they looked the most alike, but there was something not quite right about the others.

Our well-loved characters were amplified to the point that they became cringe-inducing and the over-the-top acting and repetitive impressions got tiring quite quickly.

The cast had a great energy and maintained their enthusiasm right until the end.

But the problem is that Friends sets such a high bar that it should probably be left untouched.

Collette Orwell