Great Scott! Two and a half years ago I managed to catch one of the early performances of Back To The Future The Musical at the Opera House, Manchester before the spectre of Covid shut down the entire production just three weeks into a three month expected pre-London run. (Reviewed HERE) I've been wanting to catch up with the show again and finally did so to a packed Sunday afternoon matinee at the London's Adelphi Theatre. In the interim the original London cast album has been released, and the score has become a favourite with thousands of theatre goers experiencing the sheer spectacle that this show offers.
It is clear that since my last encounter, the show has been tightened for its London run. A bit of fat cut off it (including a whole song from Act One) but the show is all the better for it. The ambitious scale of the show is one of the biggest selling points, the effects weaving almost seemlessly with the musical theatre staging to form a very satisfying whole. The foyer of the Adelphi Theatre has done its best to enter into the fray of the 1955 time jump, and your first impression of the stage is spectacular as computerised graphics surround the prosenium and stretch out into the auditorium. Our first indication that we are on a journey like no other.
Going to see a West End musical is like a lottery with regard to casting. There are the A cast who do all the promotion and the cast album, but the chances of you seeing the complete A team are slim. There are always alternates and swings (performers covering several roles) that appear at a whim. But this can work in the audiences favour as there are often some really wonderful talents waiting to be discovered when a principal performer is off. In this case Will Haswell deputising for Olly Dobson and Joshua Clemetson filling in for Cedric Neal. Haswell brings less of a Michael J. Fox vibe to the role of Marty McFly yet makes the part his own, the singing particularly strong for a role which hardly ever sees him off the stage. Similarly Clemetson brings a lovely light touch to Goldie Wilson, easily mangaing to match Neal's impressive vocals and the show is lucky to have such strong alternates who step up to the mark magnificently.
Elsewhere Hugh Coles continues his scene stealing and award-winning turn as George McFly, whilst Aidan Cutler chews the scenery (in a good way) as the Hill Valley bully boy Biff Tannen. The ladies fare well too, Rosanna Hyland successfully traverses the older and younger Lorraine Baines / McFly to great effect as Marty faces up to his mother's teenage past ('Something About That Boy' being a score highlight). Courtney Mae-Briggs as Marty's 1985 girlfriend Jennifer Parker makes up for her under written part by bringing some fine vocals to the show. Roger Bart has by now reached perfection as Doc Brown, whose scientific prowess kick starts the sequence of events which take us Back To The Future. His gestures, facial expressions and charisma are at the heart of the show, and he can even bring a tear to our eye with the wistful ballad 'For The Dreamers'. This guy has it all, and it came as a shock to me that he failed to get an Olivier nomination. But that's showbiz. The roars of approval that greet him at the curtain call say more than any statuette.
Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis (creators of BTTF) have hit the jackpot again. By keeping creative control and making sure every aspect is as successfully realised as they want it, the entire evening is a class ride from start to finish. Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard (music and lyrics) have fleshed out the music of the original movie with songs that have the flavours of 1985 and 1955, and are all very hummable. You'll find the melodies from the show in your head for days. My particular favourite is Doc's dream, imagining life in the '21st Century.' An electronic disco stomper of an act two opener. Visually the show is the most spectacular on the West End stage combining Tim Hatley's designs with Chris Fisher's illusions and Fin Ross' video projections to bring the complex sci-fi movie to life before our eyes.
With the news that the show will be opening on Broadway in 2023, this is a post pandemic success story. And the real secret is not the music, the effects nor the expert direction of John Rando. It is simply that the show is full of joy. Given the state of the world right now, we need a show like Back To The Future to remind us of the good old days in a wave of nostalgia and much more simply, to remind us of how wonderful it is to be alive and follow your dreams. Set your Flux Capitors for the Adelphi Theatre whilst you can.
Rob Cope
For further information check out the OFFICAL BACK TO THE FUTURE MUSICAL WEBSITE
