ROYAL CONCERT HALL, NOTTINGHAM – UNTIL 26 APRIL 2025
Reviewed by Geraldine Rennie
5*****
LOVELY JUBBLY!
Being of a certain age there’s an appealing nostalgia at the chance to revisit the tv classic that is Only Fools and Horses. Christmas day specials for many years had me humming along to ‘no income tax, no vat, no money back, no guarantee.’ This time the trip back to Del Boy’s market stall and the roguery of the Trotter family is in the form of a musical. For the social experiment I took along my 18 year old to see if the comedy connected with a younger audience. So for him and those who are new to this cultural cornerstone of comedy here’s a little background:
Only Fool and Horses aired on the BBC from 1981 to 1991 in 64 episodes with 16 Christmas episodes taking us up to the final show in 2003. It was written by the late John Sullivan who created characters such as Del Boy, Rodney, Trigger, Boycie and Marlene and catch phrases such as ‘ you plonker’ and ‘ this time next year we’ll be millionaires,’ that have become part of our national fabric. John Sullivan’s legacy was passed to his son Jim Sullivan who collaborated with the comedy genius Paul Whitehouse (The Fast Show, Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing) to carry forward his Dad’s idea to take Only Fools and Horses onto the stage. Using the already written introductory scene, his Dad’s notes and 20 catchy songs, Sullivan and Whitehouse opened Only Fools and Horses in the West End in 2019 to rave reviews. Now touring around the UK, I was keen to see if it lived up to the legacy.
The action for the musical is set in Peckham, East London in 1988. The opening scene shows the bustle of the market stalls. An ingenious rotating set then follows this with a visit to their flat and to complete the trinity, a trip to the Nags Head pub. The heart of the story is the kindness of Del Boy who has cared for Grandad and brought up his splendidly gangly younger brother Rodney, played brilliantly by Tom Major in his professional debut. Special mention has to be given to Rodney’s flat toned, drawn out cockney accent which made each word he uttered a total hoot. Rodney is about to fledge the nest and marry the quietly sophisticated Cassandra, played with reserved grace by Nicola Munns. Del Boy, played to a tee by Sam Lupton offers up a steady stream of malapropisms in a selection of languages … in a moment of clarity he declares “I’ve had an apothecary!” and bids farewell with a hearty “bonjour, bonjour!” As he considers life without Rodney in the flat, Del Boy decides it’s time to find himself his own special lady. Through a dating agency he meets Racquel and their lack of honesty about their true identities drives the story through a series of mishaps and revelations.
There are 70s and 80s tv and advertising references scattered throughout that were great fun to spot, such as The Rockford Files, Um Bongo – they drink it in the Congo, and You can’t fit quicker than a Kwik Fit fitter. Whilst the Trotters flat still remains a decade or two behind with its gloriously brown geometric wallpaper, Marlene’s perm, the giant mobile phones and the swish of Del Boy’s trench coat sets us firmly in the 1980s yuppie era.
The musical numbers are all absolute winners. So many of the songs leave you reeling at just how many words can be squeezed into a comedic phrase and the performers did not falter despite requiring the verbal dexterity of a furious Italian. Stand out moments were Grandad’s lament in Where have all the Cockneys gone? which smoothly slides into a heartily uplifting chorus of Any Old Iron. And also the beautiful version of Holding Back the Years by Gloria Acquaah – Harrison held the audience spellbound.
Summarising the musical Jim Sullivan said:
“What we’ve ended up with is (hopefully) something that captures and celebrates the heart and spirit of what the series was all about.”
And I would say they achieved that and raised it to another level.
And finally, what did the teenager think? After chuckling through many of the songs he decided – ‘that was unexpectedly funny.’ Praise indeed, or as Del Boy would say “that is the bonnet de douche!”