REVIEW: Only Fools and Horses the Musical, Theatre Royal Haymarket ✭✭✭

Paul T Davies reviews Only Fools and Horses the musical based on the classic sitcom, which is now playing at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket.

The cast of Only Fools and Horses the Musical. Photo: Johan Persson Only Fools and Horses the Musical. Theatre Royal, Haymarket.

19 February 2019

3 Stars

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Stage adaptations of successful sit-coms are now standard and hugely popular, but it’s still rare for the transition to be a full musical. In fact, off the top of my head, I can only remember Victoria Wood’s Acorn Antiques musical, which played at this venue. On the surface it may seem an obvious thing to do, the show will come with a guaranteed pedigree and familiarity and audiences know what to expect. The risk, of course, is that the show carries a huge weight of expectation and if it varies from the formula there can be dire consequences. Here arrives the musical version of Only Fools and Horses, one of the BBC’s most popular sit-coms, beloved by millions, including me, and it’s a show that is as funny as the series and as dodgy as Del’s merchandise!

The cast of Only Fools and Horses the Musical. Photo: Johan Persson

First, the success is as Only Fools and Horses, and here John Sullivan’s classic is brought to life by an excellent cast. Tom Bennett is a perfect Del Boy, capturing Peckham’s wide boy in every sense, funny and amusing, with superb comic timing. He IS Del Boy and his interaction with the audience and wry asides are a joy, and that fourth wall could be disrupted a little more.  Stealing the show is, in his West End debut,  Ryan Hutton as ‘plonker’ Rodney, gormless and loveable, and the show’s co-creator, Paul Whitehouse,  is a fantastic Granddad and also wonderful in an appearance as Uncle Albert. The series worked because of the ensemble and supporting cast, and they are all lovingly brought to life. Peter Baker steals scenes as Trigger, Jeff Nicholson, (Boycie), Samantha Seager (Marlene) are excellent, and Oscar Conlon- Morrey camps it up well and has enormous fun in a variety of roles. The book, by Whitehouse and Jim Sullivan, (John’s son), takes the episode when Del first meets Raquel, adds Rodney’s wedding and creates the base of the show- but there are nods to classic moments from the series. The chandelier, the pratfall through the hatch, Del’s malapropisms and cod French, Trigger’s broom, they’re all there, and the biggest cheer is raised for Del’s three-wheeler yellow Reliant Robin.

The cast of Only Fools and Horses the Musical. Photo: Johan Persson

And like that clapped out motor, the show stalls when the musical elements are added.  Originally Whitehouse began writing with Chas Hodges, who sadly passed away before many songs were written, and Jim Sullivan also contributes songs. It’s all very Chas and Dave, Cockney knees up, and the choreography does little to subvert that, and some of the numbers really struggle to make an impact. But the stand out new song is The Girl, with excellent vocals by Diane Pilkington as Raquel, one of the few poignant moments allowed in the show, and Pippa Duffy is criminally underused as Cassandra. Add a prologue of O Fortuna, (which doesn’t work unless Rodney is looking into the eyes of his nephew Damien-who hasn’t been born yet in this show), the theme tune, (which creates a stubborn earworm), Bill Wither’s Lovely Day, Simply Red’s Holding Back the Years and a rousing Margate, a Chas and Dave classic, and the second half contains a lot of padding. Many of the songs feel shoehorned in to give characters a turn, Trigger’s Gaze Into My Ball is frankly bizarre, and Boycie and Marlene urging his tadpoles to swim and create their longed-for child equally so. It’s wise to keep the show in its era, but it also makes it a very old fashioned musical, and if you’re looking for a stereotype, there are market stalls full here, but if you want subtlety, stay away, this isn’t the show for you!

However, you ignore the waves of love and affection coming from the auditorium to the stage at your peril, and this is why I would recommend it highly to anyone who loved the TV series. It has a very distinct target audience, and it is created by fans for fans. Tourists won’t understand this uniquely British phenomenon, and I hope enough punters will give it a good West End run. Drop a couple of songs, tighten the book a little more, and this will enjoy huge success on a UK tour. That said, despite my criticisms, I was hugely entertained by a wonderful cast.

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