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Raising a little hell this week at Theatre Royal, Nottingham is the exceptional story of Bonnie and Clyde.

Perhaps pretty fittingly, Bonnie and Clyde are on the run throughout the U.K. and Ireland, and it is one killer of a show. Rooting for the love story of the anti-heroes, you’ll be in for a night of chemistry, tension, and incredible vocals. This is a show I’d very happily watch over and over again.

Clyde Barrow (Alex James-Hatton) is very quickly portrayed as the bad kid who has no time for authorities and trying to make good. Everyone has dreams, but Clyde has plans and with Billy the Kid as his idol, he won’t stop at anything to put those plans into motion. He wants to be remembered.

Meanwhile, Bonnie Parker is the good girl. The girl who has a job as a waitress and is liked by the townsfolk. She had good grades. She comes across sassy yet naive. She’s a girl who will give it all to be famous. To be a star. To be a poet. She doesn’t want to be confined to the boxes of creativity. But she wants to be glamorous, and famous, and she wants to be remembered.

Bonnie and Clyde is a great paced show that never one felt tiresome or drawn out. It was a memorable performance with a fantastic musical score. There is a sense of country to the most part, which I thoroughly enjoyed, with a killer rock song in “raise a little hell”. I was also instantly drawn to the power ballad “dying ain’t so bad”.

Usually, I’d pick out a few standout cast members, but truthfully I’d be listing this entire cast. They were all brilliantly cast and stood out in their own right. Whether it was James-Hatton as Clyde’s portrayal in prison, Tomkinson’s performance as Bonnie beautifully performing dying ain’t so bad or Daisy Wood-David’s and Sam Ferriday as Blanche and Buck’s incredible secondary storyline performance. I also have to mention how incredible Jaz Ellington was during his preacher songs, God’s arms are always open and Made in America. Particularly in God’s arms are always open, Ellington blew me away!

Of course, so much of this show relies on the two leads and they really are a crime to miss. Tomkinson as Bonnie has the perfect characterisation that you fully believe she really is naive and fame-driven enough to follow a boy to the ends of the earth. Whilst James-Hatton is absolutely electric. He is a combination of infuriating yet dazzling. And, let me tell you, this pair have some serious vocals.

This show is bold, cinematic and brilliant.

Until 18 May at Theatre Royal Nottingham