King’s Head Theatre 11 – 29 April. Reviewed by Claire Roderick
Girl power storms back to the King’s Head in this 90s pop musical, squeezing a decade’s worth of fun into 60 all too short minutes.
Jess thought that her relationship was as unbreakable as Brad and Jen’s, or Justin and Britney’s, but she was wrong. After being dumped, she just wants to stay in and watch Titanic, but her friends find the perfect way to cheer her up – speed dating!
Full of warmly mocking nostalgia and smutty innuendo, this show feels like the naughty little sister of Victoria Wood and French & Saunders. The four girls are instantly recognisable caricatures – think Sex in the City set in Essex. Amanda (Jessica Brady) is the romantic searching for Mr Right to fit her 5-year plan, Charlie (Eliza Hewitt-Jones) is just out for a good time, Molly (Kerrie Thomason) is the weird one and Jess (Natasha Granger) just can’t let go of her last relationship. Writers Thomason and Granger could have kept the best lines for themselves, but the belly laughs come thick and fast from all the cast. Familiar lyrics are quoted and, like every good musical, the cast burst into song at every opportunity: Shania Twain, All Saints, Britney, B*Witched and, of course, the Spice Girls are in the mix. With delivery ranging from karaoke queens to clean harmonies, depending on the laughs the cast are aiming for, you can’t help but sing along, and if you’re lucky, you could get pulled up to dance too. If you’re unlucky, you could be the object of Amanda’s affections and end up on a speed date with her, leading to a brilliantly naff and hysterical Celine Dion number. Another standout is No Scrubs – performed on the loo using toilet brushes as microphones.
The loud and brash girl power attitudes are tempered with recordings of men talking about women and dating that will make you laugh, groan and wince. As will Jess’s slipups when she reveals slightly too much about her boyfriend. The cast are all fantastic physical comedians and seem to be having as much fun as the audience, who all left on a high.
If you’re looking for a laugh, great music (and B*Witched) and a show that will leave you buzzing with nostalgic feel good energy, get your ticket for 2 Become 1. It’s the perfect start to a girls’ night out.