13 going on 30: The Musical – Opera House, Manchester

Lucie Jones and David Hunter in 13 going on 30 The Musical at the Opera House, Manchester. Picture: Pamela Raith

13 going on 30 The Musical continues at the Opera House, Manchester until 12 October 2025.

Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

After her starring role as Jenna Rink in the iconic 2004 film 13 going on 30, Jennifer Garner has taken up a new position as executive producer on the newly opened musical version of the film, with Lucie Jones and David Hunter in the lead roles as Jenna and Matt Flamhaff.

Creating musical adaptations of movies, especially those with iconic lines, costumes, scenes and characters can sometimes be risky territory, but here this couldn’t be further from the truth. Under the brilliant direction of Andy Fickman – known for his work on Heathers The Musical as well as countless other stage and screen credits – this is a true new musical gem that already has audiences pleading for cast recordings, extensions and West End transfers.

The immediate impression is that every single department and team involved has come together at an equally exceptionally high standard. The set, designed by Colin Richmond, has a wonderfully nostalgic nod to the film locations without feeling simply like a carbon copy, and the use of lighting (Howard Hudson) seamlessly highlights the pivotal points of the story, not least Jenna’s transition from 13 to 30 and back again, but also the more poignant moments of her realisations through adulthood.

Jennifer Weber’s choreography is simply outstanding throughout, whether in smaller intimate scenes between Jenna and Matt, or during the full company production numbers. The classic ‘Thriller’ scene is done to perfection and deservedly received a huge cheer of recognition on gala night, with the cast very clearly having the time of their lives during the number. Weber’s clever use of motifs weaves a strong narrative through the chronology, drawing subtle but important connections between the adult characters and their younger selves.

Music and lyrics, by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner, are nothing short of delightful. Catchy, witty, dramatic and heartfelt in equal measure, this is an absolutely beautiful score, thoroughly deserving of all the audience hums and singalongs heard on the way out of the auditorium.

And then we come to the cast. Another huge shout-out is needed here for Will Burton (for Grindrod Burton Casting) and Keston & Keston for the children’s casting because this is surely one of the most exceptionally talented companies to be seen on a UK stage in a long while.

The young cast are split into ‘Team 13’ and ‘Team 30’, and were led on gala night by Amelia Minto as young Jenna and Max Bispham as young Matt. Both are incredible triple threat performers, and have a charming and believable chemistry with each other as well as with their adult counterparts.

Anna De Oliveira is characteristically vicious as Lulu and a powerful leader of the Six Chicks who, along with Minto, Bispham and the rest of the young cast have already garnered internet fame through their exceptional performances at the press preview event.

Grace Mouat, as Lucy, is a clear standout, easily commanding the stage, executing spot-on comic timing and perfectly capturing Judy Greer’s iconic drawl from the movie while also adding fresh energy to the character. Such a powerful vocalist and brilliant dancer, Mouat is already known for from her time with & Juliet, Six The Musical and Mean Girls to name only a few, but this is truly a career-highlight-worthy performance.

Ivan Fernandez Gonzalez as designer Darius Mark, Caleb Roberts as Poise magazine superior Richard and Dominic Andersen as Jenna’s superficial boyfriend Alex also deliver xceptional comedic performances, all expertly achieving larger than life characters without even slightly overstepping into the slapstick, overdone territory.

As the two leads throughout the story, Jones and Hunter are simply perfect as Jenna and Matt. Avid theatre fans will know this is not their first time playing opposite each other – they previously played Jenna and Dr Pomatter in the West End production of Waitress that sadly closed during the pandemic – and their offstage friendship is unmistakable in the beautiful authentic chemistry they share in these roles.

Jones is clearly born to play any and all Jennas, and here embodies the full spectrum from the goofy naivety of a teenager finding herself in an adult world with a real job and boyfriend, to the quiet honesty of realising her 30-year-old self is not the person she wanted to become.

Hunter is similarly impeccable as Matt, portraying the reserved adult who was rejected by Jenna as a child, but with undeniable and touching moments of connection that pull him back to her as an adult and lower his guard. There are not enough superlatives to describe the power, talent and sheer delight of these two in their own right, let alone playing together, and we can only hope this will not be their last shared credit.

You know a production is good when you can’t find a single thing that you would improve or change in some way, yet that is unquestionably the case with 13 Going On 30: The Musical. An absolutely stunning musical from every angle, deserving of more than five (or 13, or even 30) stars, and hopefully one that will be kept on the UK theatre circuit, fully flirty and definitely thriving, for a long time to come.

Sorcha Exworthy