Following a successful run in the West End, Pretty Woman the Musical is currently out on a UK tour, recast, but still charming.
The 1990 film of Pretty Woman has always been a favourite of mine, with the story of Edward Lewis, corporate business crusher, and Vivian Ward, streetwalker, inspired by both Cinderella and Pygmalion.
When Edward and Vivian meet, he is lost, and she is seeking a way to pay her rent. A simple transaction soon becomes more for both as love and understanding blossom in the Beverly Wiltshire Hotel.
Brian Adams and Jim Vallance are responsible for the music and lyrics here, including the memorable “Rodeo Drive” and the solo powerhouse “I Can’t Go Back”.
For part of the Pretty Woman tour, Sydnie Hocknell plays Vivian, and she displays all the contradictions of the character combined with a big belt of a voice. It’s hard not to fall in love with her.
As Edward, Oliver Savile offers charm and carefully denotes the change in the character’s mood and actions. It’s all in the little moments and the songs. The toughness and the smoothness.
Veteran writer-director Gerry Marshall is responsible for the book f his film, keeping most of the iconic moments, and adding a framing device in which Ore Oduba’s vivacious vagrant Happy Man and sweet hotel manager Mr Thompson drive the show’s plot forward.
Bits of flavour like a dance, or Noah Harrison’s delightful bellboy add a sense of where we are and when, while the small ensemble pop up in various roles, often impressing (Lila Falce-Bass shows off an impressive operatic voice, Curtis Patrick has his guitar riff).
With Natalie Paris’s jaded hooker Kit, Ben Darcy’s vile lawyer Phil, and Chomba Taulo’s socially-conscious Morse rounding out the cast, there is fun to be had in this 90s fairytale of rags to riches.
David Rockwell’s scenic design of rooms which rise and fall, and notable set pieces gel perfectly with the lighting design of Kenneth Posner & Philip S Rosenberg (which encompass glittery trees, a bench with a hidden feature, and clever muted spots).
Pretty Woman is a solid night out for romantics who want to cheer for Vivian and boo the baddie – yes, this happened at curtain call – and enjoy a laugh. It’s as light and frothy as a piece of angel cake.
It would be a big, big mistake, huge in fact, to miss it.
Check out Pretty Woman tour tickets here. It is on at New Wimbledon Theatre until 17 Feb.
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Image credit: Manuel Harlan