Review: Never Forget, Journal Tyne Theatre
By Jonathan Whiley, Evening Chronicle
COULD it be magic? Quite possibly.
The performance of the hit musical Never Forget featuring the songs of Take That last night undoubtedly had that little bit of something magical about it from its dramatic opening all the way through to its sensational finale some three hours later.
The premise is simple one. Ash Sherwood (Mark Willshire) auditions alongside ladies man Jake ‘The Face’ Turner (Adam C Booth) for a Take That tribute band with the potential to bag a lucrative cash prize in a Battle of the Bands competition.
The quintet who come together are not your conventional poster boys of the music industry though. Rather you could be forgiven for thinking they resemble the misfit cast of the hit TV show The Inbetweeners.
However, this is no bad thing. In fact it only serves to enhance their charm and endears them to the audience.
There are accomplished performances all-round from an established cast including some of the original members from the West End production. They are helped by a witty and fast-paced script.
One performance which stood out above all others was that of Teddy Kempner, who excelled in the role of eccentric band manager Ron Freeman.
A number of spectacular set-pieces owe as much to the lighting and sound design as they do to the near faultless singing abilities on display.
The show moved seamlessly from hits such as Back for Good to Relight My Fire.
This, I assure you, is musical theatre at its terrific best. There are no obvious pauses before another song is belted into the upper tiers and it does not rely on unnecessary one-liners to conveniently tie the plot together.
As the production drew towards its Disney-like climax, the audience were treated to a medley of songs.
Director Ed Curtis has undoubtedly weaved his own particular brand of magic to bring the storyline to life.
It will ultimately stand as a production that many are destined never to forget.
Never Forget, Journal Tyne Theatre, until Saturday
