★★★

“a fun festive evening in the hands of an assured cast”

If you’ve ever wished that festive romcoms were stuffed with more innuendos, dance breaks, and maybe even a throuple, then Santa must have you on the nice list. Written by Neil Hurst and Jodie Pranger, Lovers Actually is a musical parody based on the 2003 film we all hate ourselves for knowing inside out. Your favourite bits are here (the gift wrap scene is taken to gasp-inducing new heights), and the boring bits are not (thankfully no sign of Colin whinging that British girls don’t like him).

An ominously large gift wrapped in a red bow flanks the stage on entry, but when the lights go up it turns out to be a giant advent calendar of sorts, with set pieces and props unfolding from the many doors. This does a solid job of taking us from Downing Street to Albert Square and everywhere in between in pursuit of happy endings for all our lovers, who you’re bound to be familiar with, even if you can’t remember any of the actual character names from the 2003 film.

Under Alex Jackson’s direction, the cast nimbly skip through the interweaving plotlines, each character in pursuit of a lover, with varying degrees of success and vulgarity. Louie Whitemore’s costumes are put through their paces, with a single blonde wig doing some heavy lifting to define three different characters, based on how jauntily the wig is placed. The actors bring the costume quick change mayhem to the audience for laughs too, along with solid musical performances and well-judged pantomime glances when props refuse to behave and the set disobeys them. It’s hard to pick favourites when we’re not just dealing with the original Love Actually character list, but additional meta versions of the characters based on the actors that played them. Joseph Beach is hilariously and unnervingly intense from the outset as Liam Neeson from Taken dropped into Liam Neeson from Love Actually’s story. And Holly Sumpton’s comic timing is stellar – her Emma Thompson made us cackle sooner than I would have thought possible after the final chords of Joni Mitchell’s Both Sides Now.

Lauren Hopkinson has reworked classic carols and the entirety of ‘Now That’s What I Call Christmas’ into raunchy new numbers, which Martha Pothen brings particular vocal accomplishment to. But some of the arrangements are just a bit long, and it hampers the show’s impressive laugh-per-minute rating. ‘Baby It’s Cold Outside’ is the best of the bunch, with a crooning Bill Nighy (Joseph Beach) and his manager Joe (Ross Clifton) delivering pure joy (and jazz hands) ensuring every line brings a new laugh.

The script eventually becomes a victim of its own successes. There are some truly unexpected punchlines and digressions which are such fun rides that it’s actually disappointing to see the whole thing bookended by twee speeches from our Hugh Grant. The show is at its best when calling out the original script in ways we haven’t seen or heard before, and when the meta layering of characters reaches ridiculous heights.

Don’t go if you’re not ready to hear every single Christmas song ever released given a debaucherous twist. Do go if you’re looking for a fun festive evening in the hands of an assured cast, and you’re keen for something more grown up than a panto. This show is like a box of Celebrations – a few of the gags might not be to your taste, but gorging on the whole thing with a sing along is a merrymaking experience.

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!

LOVERS ACTUALLY

The Other Palace

★★★

“a fun festive evening in the hands of an assured cast”

LOVERS ACTUALLY

The Other Palace

Reviewed on 26th November 2025

by Jessica Hayes

Photography by Pamela Raith

Previously reviewed at this venue:

LOVERS ACTUALLY

LOVERS ACTUALLY

LOVERS ACTUALLY

50 FIRST DATES: THE MUSICAL

The Other Palace

★★★★★

“The magnetic cast shimmers with soul and skill”