Review: THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA - THE MUSICAL, Dominion Theatre
Photo credit: Matt Crockett
Last week, it was time to garnish ourselves with our most garish gladrags and head into the West End to see an absolutely iconic film has been transformed into a musical and we, for one, couldn’t have been more excited! With music by Elton John and direction by Jerry Mitchell, we are, of course, talking about the exciting new prospect that is The Devil Wears Prada - The Musical.
SO was it glitter coated and glorious or was it moth bitten and just plain bad?
Unfortunately for us Besties, this show is a swing and a miss, which we are extremely surprised to be saying. What has been created is a bouncy, lighthearted score that musically doesn’t feel very cohesive with the story. It feels like it takes inspiration from other shows that have recently drummed up cult followings because of their catchy poppy scores but this show could have been more. It feels like the music needs a more intense undertone to highlight the pressure of the storyline and it also craves moments where, musically and lyrically, it can punch you in the gut, but it seems the only focus here is the ‘entertainment’ factor.
It feels like the show is focusing on being ‘Iconic’ instead of focusing on the show flowing well. We all know the story of The Devil Wears Prada is a great one so to transform this into a musical, it really needs to be elevated.
Georgie Buckland in the lead role of Andy is highly entertaining but due to the writing, ultimately forgettable. The character lacks depth and bounces from one scene to the next. Buckland is clearly a talent but we feel like the character needs to be given more to work with.
The character of Miranda Priestly is one of the most iconic characters to have ever been created and we were expecting more for her entrance, with a bigger build up - yet her entrance feels a little flat. We also thought she would have some more exciting numbers to sing. Vanessa Williams performs the role with stern faced subtlety and whilst this is entertaining to watch, it doesn’t elevate the role to the heights it could have been.
The standout of the show is Amy Di Bartolomeo in the role of Emily. Bartolomeo exudes charm, sophistication and comedy, instantly becoming a crowd favourite. However, once again due to the writing, the character arc is somewhat flimsy and just falls off… Whilst the character is ultimately likeable, it feels like story wise the character should have started off more unlikeable before transforming into the crowd favourite. Bringing the character out at the beginning of the show gives panto vibes and we are not quite sure it works.
As a whole, the large ensemble in the show feels underused and are just there to strike a pose, plus the choreography feels more than a little clunky at times. One of the saving graces in the show is the costumes. Gregg Barnes designs some truly impressive garbs for the ensemble to wear in particular.
Whilst we don’t believe this show will go on to be a critical success, if you want an evening of good, lighthearted fun, then still get yourself to London to see the show. It has clearly spared no expenses on its production value and if a lighthearted romp is what you need, then you will have a whale of a time.
We wish the show the best for its future and perhaps with some reworking, the show can fulfil its full potential and be a long running must see.
All glitz and glam, but no heart.
** Two stars
Reviewed by: James Edge
