Carrie Hope Fletcher: An Open Book – The Lowry, Salford and Touring

Picture: Danny Kaan

Carrie Hope Fletcher: An Open Book was reviewed at The Lowry, Salford. The tour continues until 11 June 2023.

It must be hard staying humble when you’re Carrie Hope Fletcher. Her achievements would be impressive for a performer who’s been around for twice as long, but for someone who is only just 30 they are truly remarkable.

Her first solo touring show draws on a stage career that has included, across 22 years, West End and touring roles in Les Misérables (both as young Éponine, grown-up Éponine and Fantine), Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Heathers, War of the Worlds, The Addams Family and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ill-fated Cinderella (more on that later). But it also capitalises on her parallel career as an author (six novels and counting), blogger and online influencer.

On a higgledy-piggledy, artfully messy set strewn with bookshelves, desks, sofas and other detritus you’d find in a study or writing den, Fletcher tells us that we are in a representation of her mind. Her first show is about to start but she hasn’t got round to writing it and we – the audience – are going to help her to create it. Fletcher’s persona is down to earth and relatable, and this premise – which could seem contrived in someone else’s hands – perfectly taps into the endearingly unassuming traits that her dedicated fans adore her for.

Said fans can help to shape the show by choosing from a selection of stories – with enigmatic titles like ‘An Icy Story’ or ‘A Saucy Scoop’ – via Fletcher’s website that have songs attached to them. You can tell that some sections – like Act II opener ‘I’d Rather Be Me’ from Mean Girls and closing number ‘The Life I Never Led’ from Sister Act – are locked in, but keeping the rest of the setlist fluid gives the show, smoothly directed by Ruthie Stephens, a nicely interactive, fresh feel.

Each song has a proceeding anecdote to accompany it. The scripts for these are contained in books concealed around the set, giving the show the feel of a scavenger hunt as well as a concert performance. These anecdotes, ranging from backstage stories and reflections on career highs to confessional, personal ruminations on her younger self, are revealing without being too revelatory – the consummate blogger and social media poster knowing exactly how much of herself to give away. It’s a shame that – at this stage of the tour – Fletcher still has to read some of these stories, but the innate performer in her sells them to perfection.

Those expecting her to dish the dirt on the disappointment that was Cinderella might be, well, disappointed. The closest we get is a section where Fletcher talks about the shows she’s been involved in since the workshop stage. This, of course, includes Cinderella, to which she knowingly adds “and we all know how that worked out!”

Unexpectedly, the other thing that the production showcases is her incredible voice, which is powerful and expressive throughout, and melds beautifully with her onstage six-piece band. Never is this more evident than when she is mining Les Misérables’ iconic epic ‘On My Own’ for all its raw emotional power, but she also has fun cutting loose with the tongue-twisting, modern classic that is ‘Pulled’ from The Addams Family.

But there are surprises in the song choices. A suitably embarrassing extract from her 2007 teenage diary leads into a rendition of ‘I’m Not Okay (I Promise)’ by her favourite band from her youth, My Chemical Romance, while she ends a section poking fun at her “disgustingly talented” older brother Tom Fletcher by singing ‘The Last Song’ by his band McFly.

“Disgustingly talented” is an epithet that you could easily apply to Fletcher herself. But she’s also likeably self-effacing (or does a great job of projecting that quality) and certainly deserves this showcase of her considerable talents. This polished show also proves that she is equally adept at holding an audience’s attention as herself as she is while in character.

Chris Bartlett