Jay McGuiness and Diana Vickers in Big the Musical at the Theatre Royal Plymouth and touring to Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin. Picture: Alastair Muir
Big the Musical played the Theatre Royal Plymouth and moves on to the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin from 7 December until 7 January 2017.
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
This production brings a much-loved 1988 movie onto the stage, full of energy, fun and a little bit of magic.
The film has become a classic over the years, with its star turn from Tom Hanks, its family-friendly story and that piano scene. I can see why it has made the move to the stage so effortlessly with such a mix of slick special effects and intricate choreography.
With the European premiere taking place at the Theatre Royal Plymouth, Big the Musical comes to the stage with several big names in the cast and some amazing sets constructed at the theatre’s set-building and prop-making base.
Led by the former Wanted boy band member and Strictly Come Dancing winner Jay McGuiness, Big of course tells the story of Josh Baskin, a 12-year-old boy who makes a wish on a carnival ‘game’ to be bigger. Suddenly, he wakes up to find himself grown up and has to quickly adjust to the ways of the adult world, working his way through work, independent living and love.
The set works very well, with a large curved digital screen on a fast-moving revolve, bringing in one scene as another moves out. The screen itself is a pivotal element of the set, showcasing numerous animated projections, including the backdrop of multiple sets. These include the offices where Josh works, his toy-filled apartment and the street between the homes of the youngster and his best friend Billy.
It works very well, making up multiple scenes without the need of more space-consuming set pieces. Audience members would have had to have eagle eyes to spot all the multiple trap doors of different shapes and sizes. How else could the focus move so suddenly from little Josh to his adult counterpart (sometimes hiding a full-sized adult in what looks like a child-sized cupboard?).
The special effects are incredibly slick. Not only does the use of trap doors and hidden features allow for a feeling of magic throughout the show, but it also makes the staging feel effortless.
The fast-moving revolve also plays a part in the sense of magic created. Josh goes from walking through a seemingly abandoned fairground to suddenly coming face-to-face with the magical and mystical Zoltar machine.
As the revolve turns, the images on the curved screen matches perfectly to the movement, especially in the scenes in which the action moves from one office to another, allowing audience members to feel as if they are moving themselves, seeing the hallways and scenes between the two areas.
McGuiness brings a fan base to the production. Add to the line-up Gary Wilmot and Diana Vickers, and there are plenty of big names to put on the advertisements and press releases.
In some cases, ‘stunt casting’ can turn out to be more of a curse than a blessing, with cast members failing to live up to expectations. Fortunately, this is not the case for Big the Musical.
McGuiness leads the show with flair and bundles of energy. His dancing ability is clearly displayed and the role allows for him to showcase his acting skills. His character has a lot of development throughout the show and he carries this off well, able to show Josh’s conflict between behaving like the child he is and the adult he appears to be.
McGuiness’ energy is boundless, although his voice does sounds somewhat strained on occasions, especially in his duets with Vickers.
The latter takes on the role of co-worker Susan Lawrence who introduces Josh to the working world and the world of romance.
She too showcases her acting ability here with her character choosing between advancing professionally and rediscovering her inner child with the help of Josh. Her voice is amazing, particularly in her performance of ‘Dancing All the Time’ in which she suddenly recalls a memory of her first love.
Wilmot comes to the stage with an air of professionalism, performing with an ease and style which could only come with years of stage experience. He brings such joy to the role of George MacMillan, the toy business owner who wishes to go back to basics, prioritising fun rather than just making up the numbers.
The piano scene is his to own and he does just that. The young members of the cast are also brilliant with Keir Edkins-O’Brien performing in the role of Josh’s mate, Billy, fighting to get his real friend back.
He is able to perform with both childhood joy and an understanding of the adult world, to help Josh, and also to comfort his mother as she misses her son on his birthday.
The ensemble of child performers bring an amazing level of energy to their performances with intricate and precise dance routines. ‘It’s Time’ is a good example of this with movement perfectly matching the set sound effects. They don’t miss a beat.
In conclusion, Big has the making of a classic but it could all rely on the casting. For a show that is likely to make a move to the West End, it needs to build its own fan base and not rely on the popularity of its cast members. It could do it. This is a slick production and ideal for families, as it has magic, fun dance routines and laugh-out-loud moments.
Not to mention the fact that the show has those subtle jokes that would go over the head of a child, but will make the parents chuckle. All in all, director/choreographer Morgan Young’s staging of Big the Musical definitely has the potential to be a very popular show if/when it makes its move to the West End.
Becky Wallis
SHARE THIS POST:
Comments are closed.