(seen at the afternoon performance on 18th December 2024)
The monkey was unconvinced about this show on its first outing at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in 2019, feeling that “Appropriate to the blessed memory of the TV show's ethos, this is a total knock-off version. It falls to bits after a couple of hours, through no fault of the hapless cast.”
Still, in the spirit of the season, and after rather enjoying the original cast album since, it gave the show another chance on its three-week Holiday engagement as part of a national tour.
As might be expected, the less refined Apollo Hammersmith atmosphere rather aids the show. A more raffish space, with a much larger stage, lets it breathe – even if Rory Madden’s sound design and Jack Chambers resident management cannot cope with the space and leaves everything with an echo if seated at the front (that’ll teach them to buy their gear somewhere else in future, saying nothing... Del...).
We pretend to politely not notice when Alice Power’s touring set has to compromise with turning sideways rather than obliterating the main locations to provide other moments. It isn’t important, and Hammersmith allows plenty of blank space to work with for key songs – Ian Scott able to light the small area required.
The show itself has been trimmed to lose the theatre box sequence (impossible in a venue without them) and moves a little more quickly under Caroline Jay Ranger’s direction. It has a communal atmosphere which was missing before, the company pulling together under her leadership.
It is still a mixture of classic moments from the television series, with newly written and classic songs stitched into it. “Holding Back The Years” and “Lovely Day” are classic pop, there’s some Chas’n’Dave and of course the two classic “Only Fools” theme tunes.
Of the new material, “The Girl” for Raquel (Georgina Hagen – a fine voice, if rather coarser than her TV incarnation) is a neat summary of many young women’s fears of facing life alone after making some bad mistakes in love. “Where have All The Cockneys Gone?" for Grandad (Philip Childs, excellent – and unforgettable in his Uncle Albert moment too) is a knees-up detailing the loss of a London institution.
Less strong, “Gaze Into My Ball” and “The Tadpole Song” seem written solely to give Trigger (Lee VG) and Boycie (Craig Berry), both on good form, their character moments. Both strong performances who rather deserve better material.
It is of course Del Boy (Sam Lupton) and Rodney (Tom Major) at the heart of the show. Both are entirely believable, their characters growing through experience.
Lupton has a resolve to fight against all odds. He endures a surprising level of violence – stronger even than the television programme – yet always comes back. His genuine loneliness after Rodney weds is touching, making the violence he experiences later as painful for us as it is for him.
Tom Major has apparently not even graduated from drama school yet, but makes easy work of Rodney. Vocally strong, his adoration of Cassandra (Nicola Munns) is mutual and they make a credible couple. Munns herself also plays Marlene, and has as much fun with both as we do.
Special guest Vinnie Jones as Danny Driscoll proves he can act, a menace who hopefully one day will find the law catching up with him.
Time and touring have been kind to this show. It is tighter now than it was in the West End, a coating of nostalgia oiling the thin plot strands, so they move together more comfortably. The show still frays in the second half, adding in its cameos for favourite secondary characters as the main plot hangs for no reason other than extending the running time.
Main point is that it satisfies the wider audience, and we leave with that relaxed enjoyment “Only Fools and Horses” always generates. Can’t say fairer than that can we. You know it makes sense. Cushty.
3 stars.
Photo credit: TTG Group. Used by kind permission.