Picture: Pamela Raith Photography
FRIENDS! The Musical Parody was reviewed at the Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury where it continues until 22 November 2025. The tour continues until 2 May 2026.
Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩
Sitting down to watch an ‘episode’ of Friends – this time performed on the stage rather than the small screen – takes on a bizarre twist in FRIENDS! The Musical Parody.
For audiences who tuned in to the iconic hit show in the 1990s (or Millennials who got hooked later on), indulging in a musical parody might sound ideal. Except I’m not sure anyone will have seen “the one where everyone sings all the time and the plot goes missing”.
And that’s the difficulty here, this is a show which is trying to be a bit of everything. Admittedly it must be incredibly difficult to condense the best bits of 10 years’ worth of a very popular and familiar comedy series into one show, not to mention throwing in new laughs, songs and – sadly all too few – edgy on-the-nail parodies.
The result is a hotchpotch of scenes and songs with director Michael Gyngell expecting quite a lot from the audience, as the plot feels more stitched together than flowing.
Thankfully, as well as the odd witty musical number there is, overall, a good cast, who, unlike the original Friends, get opportunities to show their singing prowess, even if it does feel a bit relentless at times (book and lyrics by Bob and Tobly McSmith, music by Assaf Gleizner).
Amelia Atherton, playing Phoebe, stands out as pivotal to the show, capturing attention and laughs each time she picks up her guitar to sing whacky songs full of pathos and death.
Eva Hope, too, gives a highly charged performance as Rachel, with all her sassy mannerisms and witty asides intact.
The cast generally looks the part, thanks to great costume design by Jennie Quirk and wigs, hair and make-up design by Craig Forrest Thomas.
The sets, with credit to designer Andrew Exeter (also lighting), are comfortingly familiar: the downtown coffee shop and Monica (played with gusto by Alicia Belgarde)’s cosy New York City apartment.
The cast works best when they can laugh at their own characters; the outlandish Ross (Enzo Benvenuti) and Ronnie Burden, doing a fun turn as the loveable Joey.
But it’s the minor characters who really shine in unexpected moments. Edward Leigh draws laughs in several small roles: Central Perk waiter Gunther, Monica’s erstwhile boyfriend as played by Tom Selleck and Ross’ love rival Paolo.
There are belly laughs too for Daniel Parkinson, who plays both Chandler straight down the line and then hams it up to great effect in drag as the unexpected and hilarious Janice. He leads the cast in one of the best and most memorable song and dance routines of the evening with ‘OMG It’s Janice’ (a welcome display of diversity and a reminder that the original TV series is becoming a tad outdated).
FRIENDS! The Musical Parody is really a cheesy slice of 1990s nostalgia best enjoyed by aficionados – and even they might watch bemused!
Christine Drabwell
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