Pretty Woman - The Musical

Posted by Chris Gregg at Tuesday, 19 March 2024 23:02

One of the most iconic rom com movies, Pretty Woman has been turned into a musical which has taken the West End and Broadway by storm and it's arrived at Milton Keynes Theatre on its first UK tour.

Pretty Woman, the movie, has a timeless charm which is arguably as much down to the casting of Richard Gere and Julia Roberts as the modern-day cinderella plot but this musical has taken the essence of the film and turned up the feelgood factor and romance.

The story follows ruthless business billionaire Edward Lewis as he picks up a prostitute on Hollywood Boulevard, Vivian, then decides to book her services for a week and buys her some nice clothes. Along the way, he discovers emotions and she discovers the comfort of wealth as they fall in love.

There's a stellar cast with Strictly Come Dancing star Ore Oduba as the hotel manager Mr Thompson and several other roles who brings a charismatic and energetic performance to each role. Amber Davies as Vivian Ward has an amazing singing voice and great chemistry with Oliver Savile who plays Edward Lewis with a suave charm and emotional depth. There's also a great performance from Natalie Paris as Kit De Luca with show stopping vocal acrobatics and Noah Harrison steals the show with a brilliant performance as hotel bellboy Giulio.

All the iconic scenes and costumes are here including the famous shopping scene, of course... and even a few minutes of some terrific opera singing as the couple watch from their box which has been positioned for them in the middle of the stage for the ultimate view. The scene then takes an odd turn as a bed appears on stage and the couple get down to business as the opera dancers continue to perform around them. There are other moments when the songs in the musical appear to actually be diagetic (i.e. the characters can hear each other singing)... for example when Edward is singing at his piano in the hotel room and revealing his growing feelings for Vivian, then she comes back into the room and watches him singing the song about her! All of which makes the show feel a bit odd at times although it's probably not intended to be over-analysed!

The show is jam packed with brand new songs, written by actual Bryan Adams, alongside Roy Orbison's classic Pretty Woman which inspired the original film, and although it takes a bit of getting used to when a familiar scene from the film is interrupted by a song and dance routine, it does ultimately work!

With a great cast, a winning story and plenty of eighties nostaligia, this musical is a great night out alhough at times it does feel a lilttle bit like watching a tribute act performing your favourite band's songs.