50 First Dates musical review: Surprisingly, it feels like a good fit for the stage
50 First Dates musical review and star rating: ★★★
This year’s ‘was a film and is now a London musical’ cohort includes The Devil Wears Prada, Hercules, Paddington and Elf! The Musical. They join Mean Girls, Moulin Rouge and The Bodyguard, and a host of critics crying about the lack of originality in musical theatre.
As a concept, 50 First Dates surprisingly suits the format, despite sounding on the face of it like a terrible idea. A tale about a lady called Lucy who, after being in a car crash, is no longer able to make new long term memories, the story involves her repeatedly meeting Henry, who tries to convince her that he loves her despite her forgetting his existence on the daily.
The Groundhog Day repetition and forgetfulness feels ripe for the format; the repeated gag about her memory loss across a year is just enough of a plot device to sustain interest without being too high concept or naff.
50 First Dates the musical: sharp comic delivery empowers Lucy Whitmore
As a whole though, the production is buoyant if conventional. There is an overuse of projected video in place of set pieces, lending the production a fringe feel, even if Georgina Castle’s Lucy and Josh St Clare’s Henry do a capable job of migrating the lovers from Hollywood to St James. Castle has some impeccably sharp comic delivery, which empowers the character, shaping her beyond her anterograde amnesia diagnosis.
David Rossme and Steve Rosen’s book and lyrics are sweetly authentic and Casey Nicholaw’s choreography is often stage-filling, although it can all feel a little saccharine to achieve the feels.
The 50 First Dates musical plays until 16 November at The Other Palace