Take That’s (second) jukebox musical Greatest Days, then named The Band, started life in 2017 when Gary Barlow searched for the five lads who would play the main boy band the show surrounds in a TV talent competition (how else?). Garnering a UK tour, West End run and even shining in Germany, it seemed 2023 was the right time to bring it back (for good) with its new name as not only would it celebrate Take That’s 30 years of dominating pop music, but also run alongside its film version hitting cinemas next week.
I was kindly invited to review Greatest Days at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking. Having seen the show, is it a musical that could be magic, or is it as forgettable as the OTHER Take That jukebox musical, ironically named Never Forget?
Greatest Days
Venue
Cast
- Rachel: Kym Marsh
- Young Rachel: Emily Cunliffe
- Claire: Jamie-Rose Monk
- Young Claire: Mari McGinlay
- Heather: Rachel Marwood
- Young Heather: Kitty Harris
- Zoe: Holly Ashton
- Young Zoe: Hannah Brown
- Debbie: Mary Moore
- Jeff: Christopher D. Hunt
- The Boy Band: Regan Gascoigne, Jamie Corner, Kalifa Burton, Archie Durrant, Alexanda O’Reilly
Rating: ★★★★
What is Greatest Days about?
Greatest Days follows five friends who are huge fans of The Band: Rachel, Debbie, Heather, Claire and Zoe. After finally seeing them in concert, one life altering event causes the group to break up and their lives take completely new directions from what they first dreamed. 30 years later, Rachel suddenly wins a competition to see The Band’s big reunion concert in Greece and decides to bring her old friends along to have possibly the greatest day of their lives.
What are my thoughts on Greatest Days?
I will admit I had doubts going into Greatest Days as Take That’s songs don’t always lend themselves to a narrative and while I’m being more forgiving to jukebox musicals as a genre, they still have that reputation as soulless corporate machinations that choose style over substance (it might not have helped I saw We Will Rock You the day before, but that’s for a different time). Having said that, Greatest Days is one the most pleasant surprises I’ve seen this year. And yes, I took my mum who has seen Take That live…twice.
Among the crowd-pleasing Take That songs and hijinks in Greece, what Greatest Days always focuses on is the core female friendship as they face the sometimes harsh reality your life doesn’t turn out how you envisioned it when young. At first treated as jokes, the impact their life decisions the group made is treated with more poignancy and nuance than you might expect once you learn how each one reacted to a certain traumatic event that happens early in act one. Thanks to the amazing performances and Tim Firth’s funny yet heartfelt script, the emotional scenes felt so raw that I (and others) got choked up at points.
What also makes Greatest Days succeed is it’s a love letter to any boy band fan, never belittling or mocking their adoration as many in society have at basically anything loved by teenage girls (even having a recurring grumpy middle aged man who’s revealed to be a closeted fan). Whether you gossiped over which member you were going to marry, used their music to escape from your troubles or looked for that perfect outfit to make them notice you when finally seeing them in concert, it captures those feelings any fan can relate to, the unbreakable bonds they often create, and why they’re more than “just a band.”
Given that I’m filling Greatest Days with so much praise, why am I not giving it five stars? One big issue I had was while its story and characters were so uplifting and heartfelt, it wasn’t the most visually exciting show. While Lucy Osborne’s costumes were vibrant with each woman having their own colours in one little touch I liked, I can’t say the same for her set design. Consisting of grey platforms that sometimes light up and turn into stairs and a hill, its bare and static nature didn’t make me feel immersed in the show given that we’re meant to be transported to places like Manchester and Athens.
What’s the cast like?
One of the biggest selling points for Greatest Days has been Coronation Street actress Kym Marsh and her daughter Emily Cunliffe playing Rachel decades apart. Both offer heartfelt and charming performances, and while Rachel is given more development holding off walking down the aisle with her long term partner Jeff despite wishing to be married when she was young, I actually see the show as an ensemble piece where every character is given their moment to let it shine. You could feel that dynamic as having that lifelong bond both in their younger and older selves that I was immediately sold on their friendship.
Mary Moore adds life-affirming heart to Debbie while Kitty Harris and Rachel Marwood bring humour to school flirt Heather as the friend who never really changed (except in one surprising and heartfelt way). Hannah Brown and Holly Ashton make Zoe’s transition from studious bookworm to Earth mum with four university-aged kids surprisingly natural. However, my standout is Jamie-Rose Monk as Claire. When the aspiring Olympian’s revealed to be plus-sized during the act one finale, it’s intended to elicit laughs. While Claire also cracks self-deprecating jokes that make you believe she’s the “funny fat friend,” Monk’s nuanced performance reveals the true pain that caused her to stop pursuing her dreams in a monologue that made me teary-eyed.
The boy band consisting of Regan Gascoigne (Dancing On Ice), Jamie Corner, Kalifa Burton, Alexanda O’Reilly and Archie Durrant were great vocally and in the dance sequences for their showstopping numbers, which were more impressive as they had to research Take That videos to capture their movements and likeness. However, we don’t learn anything about them, they don’t have distinct personalities and are mainly there to sing Take That songs with the energy they deserve. Some may assume that’s lazy writing, but there’s a cleverness as they could be a self-insert for any boy band you idolised, adding a universality to the story as Greatest Days isn’t about them. It’s about the friendships that formed because of them.
How are the songs used?
Greatest Days knows people are coming for the Take That songs, so they do something interesting with them. While some are used to express the character’s feelings like Rule The World and a tearjerking rendition of Want You Back, others are sung by the band to capture the mood of a scene like Patience, The Flood and Greatest Day. Given the show’s premise, many are either used diagetically as the boy band performing in concert or in fantasy sequences, and these are where they encourage the audience to clap along or let your hair down before the curtain call (normally what you’re not allowed to do during a musical).
What are my overall thoughts?
The more I think about it, the more I realise Greatest Days is the musical Viva Forever wanted to be. A pure love letter to fans of Take That or any boy band whether it’s *NSYNC, The Backstreet Boys, Busted, McFly, The Jonas Brothers, One Direction or BTS, it captures those feelings and celebrates them with plenty of humour and heart. While I have to dock a point for the visuals in this production, everything else from the heartfelt story to the charming performances are near perfection and more than worth seeing the show. I guess I’ll need to have a little patience before watching the film version…
Greatest Days runs at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking until June 10th.
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