50 FIRST DATES: THE MUSICAL

The Other Palace

★★★★★

“The magnetic cast shimmers with soul and skill”

I’ll be honest: when ‘50 First Dates: The Musical’ was announced, I feared a carbon copy of the problematic 2004 film, ‘50 First Dates’. But like Henry, I’m glad I stuck around. The stage version is surprisingly fresh, bursting with heart, charm and pain. Forget 50: one date’s all it takes to fall for this musical!

‘Perfect Day’ travel blogger, Henry Roth, has it all – influencer status, an ambitious agent, success with the ladies. The world’s at his feet, even though he’s outrunning his past. During a pitstop in Key Largo, Florida, Henry meets Lucy, the town’s sweetheart. Suddenly he sees a reason to stay. But one perfect day isn’t enough when Lucy forgets everything by morning. Can love overcome memory loss? Or is one day all they’ll get?

With a hilarious book, music and lyrics by David Rossmer and Steve Rosen, ‘50 First Dates: The Musical’ removes and/or softens the film’s more controversial elements, landing in 2025 with depth and compassion. Henry is much less creepy, no longer deceiving though still disappearing; Lucy’s hopes and dreams are central rather than shoehorned in; Lucy has more agency, even though the men still steer the ship; racist portrayals are gone. The intrinsically flawed, overly romanticised medical premise remains, but the whole resonates much more deeply, heightened by the writers’ sensitive portrayal of pain: for all the sunshine and silliness, both script and score are imbued with quiet tragedy. The result is a breathtaking gut-punch of beauty and sorrow – an entire town forever changed by Lucy’s accident.

The score is hauntingly beautiful. Rossmer and Rosen’s music and lyrics, with arrangements by Matthew Jackson and Richard Beadle, are filled with hope and sadness. Such poignancy is woven into harmonic progressions, key changes and chords, it demands a cast recording. And not every song is sad, with the tongue-in-cheek ‘Key Largo’ bringing showgirl swagger, and the rousing ‘Finale’ ending on a high.

Casey Nicholaw’s direction paints in multicolour strokes, capturing the full breadth of emotion with effortless flair. He expertly shapes a relatively large cast into a living, breathing portrait of connection and chemistry. The staging is well balanced despite the unusual footprint. Standing on lobster pots to create different levels is very on brand, though could be more impactful with more elevation.

Fly Davis’ ingenious set design focuses on a spinning central structure, serving as various locations with some surprisingly fast turnarounds (get it?). Wood-panelled wings frame the space, transforming every inch into a canvas for projected imagery. George Reeve’s projection design is stunning and impressively varied, shifting from photo album to tropical beach, to expressionist art and more. It’s elevated by Aideen Malone’s lighting, shifting from realism to dreamscape with precision. Davis’ costumes radiate summer energy and capture each character’s essence, especially Lucy’s dad’s transformation and her brother’s colourful choices. There are also clever costume changes, with one sequence squeezing in five outfits by my count!

The magnetic cast shimmers with soul and skill. Georgina Castle’s Lucy is its beating heart, combining breezy allure with wicked wit and gut-wrenching grief. Her powerful vocals soar through the score – fierce, flawless, and in full control. Josh St. Clair’s Henry starts out broken but blooms into a steadfast supporter, powered by commanding vocals and irresistible charm. Charlie Toland’s Doug starts out brash but finds brotherhood, stealing scenes with killer comic timing. The whole ensemble radiates love and connection, uniting us all in shared struggle and flooding the stage with their glorious voices.

‘50 First Dates: The Musical’ pulses with warmth, soul and aching beauty. A richer, wiser version, you’ll want to see it again and again!

50 FIRST DATES: THE MUSICAL

The Other Palace

Reviewed on 24th September 2025

by Hannah Bothelton

Photography by Pamela Raith

Previously reviewed at this venue:

SAVING MOZART | ★★★★ | August 2025

THE LIGHTNING THIEF | ★★★ | March 2025

HOMO ALONE | ★★★ | December 2024

JULIE: THE MUSICAL | ★★½ | June 2024

CRUEL INTENTIONS: THE 90s MUSICAL | ★★★★ | January 2024

A VERY VERY BAD CINDERELLA | ★★★★ | December 2023

50 FIRST DATES

★★★½

“entertaining, occasionally dazzling, yet frustratingly uneven”

Disney’s Hercules launches onto the West End stage in splashy, scattershot style that embraces camp and colour, but can’t quite decide who it’s playing to. With a book by Kwame Kwei-Armah, recently departed Artistic Director of the Young Vic, and Robert Horn, expectations were high for the stage adaptation of Disney’s 1997 animated film. However, perhaps through limited fault of Kwei-Armah, who it seems merely adapted the book from a 2019 Off-Broadway version by Kristoffer Diaz, we get something that leans more towards panto – jokes often too juvenile for adults, yet strangely pitched above younger children.

Tonally, it’s a mixed bag throughout. Some of the new songs fail to land, despite being written by the original duo of Alan Menken (Music) and David Zippel (Lyrics). Hercules’ introductory number Today’s Gonna Be My Day, feels more like a filler from Dick Whittington than a compelling character launch, particularly in the staging, with a plethora of dancers filling the market, ducking and diving to avoid Herc’s slapstick clumsiness. Yet redemption comes swiftly with Go the Distance, delivered by Luke Brady with gravitas and control, even if the new vocal arrangement takes a little adjusting to for die-hard fans.

The costumes and puppetry are visually dazzling – though the latter is perhaps less effectual than Disney’s longest running theatrical hit The Lion King. The gods shimmer in outrageous gold, Hades’ cape swishes with villainous flair, and the muses – a consistent highlight – sparkle in their many gorgeous gowns with elegance and verve. Wig and hair designer Mia M Neal deserves special mention: her sculptural braids-turned-hats are a feat of fabulous imagination. The muse’s gospel numbers, harmonically tight and delivered with electric charm by Sharlene Hector, Brianna Ogunbawo, Malinda Parris and Robyn Rose-Li, are the show’s undisputed high points.

At its best, the set is magnetic – keeping you guessing with how seemingly magical effects are delivered. To represent the souls trapped in the underworld for eternity, gauze drapes swirl heavenward, then collapse back down, creating a hypnotic rhythm that’s almost balletic. Meanwhile, the rest of Hades’ underworld has a steampunk vibe, complete with minions and an inexplicable tap number (Getting Even) that adds nothing but confusion.

Despite the tonal inconsistencies, the cast commits entirely. Mae Ann Jorolan’s Megara is a standout – smoky-voiced, sardonic, and emotionally resonant. Her interpretation of I Won’t Say (I’m in Love) with the muses is every bit as affecting as fans would hope. And in one of the more successful additions, Forget About It, a flirtatious first encounter between Meg and Herc, brings welcome depth to their dynamic, balancing her independence against his oblivious infatuation.

Ultimately, Hercules the Musical is entertaining, occasionally dazzling, yet frustratingly uneven. Casey Nicholaw’s direction keeps the show visually fluid, if not always tonally consistent. It’s at its best when it is faithful to the original film and lets the muses lead the charge. If the creative team can tone down some of the more broad humour, there’s a sharper, smarter version of this show waiting to be revealed.

Tag Archives: CASEY NICHOLAW

50 FIRST DATES: THE MUSICAL

★★★★★

The Other Palace

50 FIRST DATES: THE MUSICAL

The Other Palace

★★★★★

“The magnetic cast shimmers with soul and skill”