If you grew up in the UK, you likely have some memory of the NOW That's What I Call Music compilation tapes and CDs. Even growing up overseas, the brand's blocky font is instantly recognisable to me. Now there's a jukebox musical to celebrate their 40th anniversary, fittingly titled NOW That's What I Call a Musical! and featuring over twenty top hits from the 80s and 90s. The show tours Oxford this week, kicking off last night at the New Theatre, where it will stay until Saturday.
In terms of plotting, the story takes place in two time periods: 2009 Birmingham, at a school reunion which sees friends and enemies reunited at a local pub. Responsible nurse Gemma (Nina Wadia), grapples with her unfaithful cad of a husband and hopes that her long-lost best friend April will make an appearance, the two having drifted apart when April moved to Hollywood decades prior.
The other timeline turns the clock back twenty years prior and follows Gemma and April as they finish up school and come of age, dreaming of bigger and brighter things. While April plots to become a Oscar-winning actress, Gemma most wants a big family and loving home life. It's no spoiler to say things don't work out exactly as planned.
There is a range of other characters too: multiple love interests, family members, and the comedic relief character. At its best, the story has a Gavin and Stacey common touch to it, gently funny and earnest, with happy, tidy endings for all.
Writer Pippa Evans is an accomplished book writer, who specialises in improv and musical theatre. Unfortunately, her characters and events here feel thin and arbitrary, as if the concept itself was ghostwritten, not coming from anyone's heart. There's no reason for it to be set in Birmingham, for example, and nothing in the story that feels authentically grounded in the eighties beyond the surface level of Walkmans and bright makeup. Sometimes songs in jukebox musicals can feel shoehorned into the story, here, the opposite is the case: the entire plot seems retrofitted around the chosen songs. Also strangely, despite being a homage to the NOW That's What I Call Music albums, they are never mentioned or featured in any way beyond the title.
It also might have made more sense, tribute-wise, to feature a showcase of music from the albums across decades, but the show stays almost entirely in the 80s and early 90s with Cyndi Lauper, Tears for Fears, Spandau Ballet, etc. Also, it's just far too long: even before you factor in the interval, the show stretches well past the two-hour mark.
That's the negatives. What I will also say, more enthusiastically, is that the actors were genuinely entertaining and gave their all to the performance. A special shoutout to Maia Hawkins, who made her stage debut playing the brassy-yet-vulnerable Young April, and brought a depth of emotion as well as a great voice to the part. Phil Sealey brought a Jack Black-esque enthusiasm and charm to his comedic relief character Steve, while both versions of Gemma's no-good husband Tim (Chris Grahamson and Kieran Cooper) stole the show with their hilariously smarmy delivery.
Nina Wadia also had fantastic comedic timing when given the chance to shine, such as in a scene with special guest Carol Decker, of rock band T'Pau (there's a different 80s icon for each tour date). Amusingly, so did Decker herself, willing to play the diva and delivering her lines with thoughtful pauses.
As the show was directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood (of Strictly Come Dancing judge fame), the movement was imaginative and the dance sequences were given space to shine. The zany costume design was also a huge highlight, so shoutout to designer Sam Cox.
Ultimately, this is an unchallenging feel-good show featuring some of the best music of the 80s and 90s, highly likely to get your toes tapping and highly unlikely to offend anyone. If you're looking for high art, don't bother with this. But fans of the era and those in need of some pure escapism will find lots to love here.