Review: NOW That’s What I Call A Musical brings 80s fun to Milton Keynes

If you were a child of the ‘80s and yearn to be transported back there for an evening of pure nostalgia, then Milton Keynes Theatre is the place to be this week.

NOW music albums have been around for 40 years and they just keep on coming – we’ll be up to no.119 when it’s released this Friday (November 15).

I remember purchasing NOW 16 on vinyl, which Google tells me was released in 1989 and featured around 40 songs. Like with all NOW selections, half of those tunes you probably disliked, but there was no streaming or downloading of individual favourite tracks back then, and buying them on compilation was far cheaper than picking each up individually.

There are no such issues with filler material with NOW That’s What I Call A Musical, as all the songs are toe-tapping bangers – Tears For Fears, Blondie, Cyndi Lauper, Whitney Houston, Wham, Katrina & The Waves, The Proclaimers and many more.

Nostalgia kicks in the moment you settle into your seat with the tape cassette images (sides A and B) dominating the surrounds of the stage. The trip down memory lane continues throughout the show – especially for me when we visit Planet of the Tapes which stirred memories of arguing with friends at a Blockbuster video store over which film to rent out for the weekend!

The musical is set in Birmingham and focuses on the relationship of school friends Gemma and April, both in 1989 and also 20 years later at their school reunion. The way the timelines simultaneously play out is brilliantly done, so hats off to younger Gemma (Nikita Johal), older Gemma (Nina Wadia), younger April (Maia Hawkins) and older April (Melissa Jacques).

Gemma becomes a nurse in Birmingham, while April pursues her dream of becoming an actress in America. The plot is rather predictable, but equally there are some truly emotional scenes as the lead characters' lives don’t pan out quite as they hoped.

The predictable story (bar a bombshell moment near the end) doesn’t matter one jot though, as it’s all about the music and the fun – and not surprisingly there are plenty of giggles given it’s been written by award-winning comedian Pippa Evans. We’re talking pelvic thrusts aplenty, booze bottles used as microphones, and definitely watch out for Steve (Phil Sealey) who literally generated a belly full of laughs in one scene, plus a pizza delivery guy stripper routine from Barney (Callum Tempest) on Gemma’s hen night.

The dance routines are mostly simple but imaginative and performed to some really cheesy tunes, often with wacky costumes thrown in for good measure (The Buggles’ Video Killed The Radio Star being a prime example). Oh, and how about Irene Cara’s What a Feeling with Michael Jackson’s Thriller briefly mixed into it? Bizarre but fabulous!

A lot of the singing is intentionally not at all polished, especially those songs sung in the pub with the cast acting intoxicated in numerous scenes.

But when the time is right there are plenty of classic hits which are belted out with real aplomb too.

Older Frank (Gemma’s brother) played by Shakil Hussain was the standout singer for me, with older April (Melissa Jacques) not far behind. And watch out for the brief guest appearance from 80s popstar Sonia.

The show runs until Saturday, November 16. Book your tickets at at ATGTICKETS.COM/MiltonKeynes.