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Press tickets for review

I don’t think there’s many people out there that don’t adore Pretty Woman the movie. As soon as this one was announced to be embarking on a UK tour, I was super excited. After all, this was big news… HUGE.

The 1990 movie needs no introduction, it was the film that made Julia Roberts a true Hollywood icon and shaped her to become ‘America’s Sweetheart’ whilst Richard Gere was in the most romantic role and showed him as a suave heartthrob. The musical debuted in the US in 2018, premiered in the UK just before lockdown in 2020, reopened in 2021, and closed in 2023. Now, it’s turning Curve Leicester into Rodeo Drive, as part of its UK tour.

For fans of the film, there’s plenty to enjoy with Pretty Woman the musical—the familiar story, dialogue, and even some iconic outfits make an appearance (though some for Vivian’s character were unfortunately ill fitting causing some wardrobe issues for Davies during the show). Yet, while much of what made the film a success is faithfully recreated on stage, some of the charm seems to have been lost along the way.

The book was co-written by Garry Marshall, the film’s director, and J.F. Lawton, its screenwriter, with music and lyrics by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance. There’s certainly some star power behind the production, so I had exceptionally high expectations, which maybe is one of its shortfalls. It has high expectations to meet! Although the music was enjoyable, the main critique around the songs was they were often unforgettable and often repeated what’s already been said rather than adding more depth and meaning.

Oliver Savile as Edward was brilliant and his solos were some of the show highlights. He embodies the character excellently. He adds depth to the character and has some super smooth vocals. Unfortunately though, the chemistry between himself and Amber Davies as Vivian wasn’t there for me. The romance between the two feels less impactful on stage.

Luckily, Ore Oduba, in the dual roles of Happy Man and Mr. Thompson (the Beverly Wilshire Hotel concierge), brings some much-needed humour and charm to the production. His dance number with Giulio (Noah Harrison) is a fun, light-hearted moment, complete with a nod to Strictly Come Dancing days, and Noah has some particularly humorous moments, such as the wig dusting!

Natalie Paris as Kit, Vivian’s roommate and friend, also stands out, with a powerful voice that is woefully underused. She really was incredible and a truly standout performance.

David Rockwell’s set design captures the different worlds of Hollywood Boulevard, Rodeo Drive, and the luxurious Beverly Wilshire. It’s beautiful to see such beautiful staging with some fabulous use of lighting, especially when creating silhouettes and the sunsets over the balcony.

The show seems to have caused a mixed reaction so I really do feel it’s going to be a marmite show. With some audience members leaving at the interval, and others expressing to me at the interval how it’s absolutely amazing and one of their favourite shows ever. It’s one of those shows that reminds you just how subjective art is and how there is a show for everybody. I personally feel that I would’ve loved Pretty Woman as more of a play with deeper exploration into the characters and their backstory, whilst others are happy with a light-hearted comedic show to laugh the night away.

Overall, the production felt more like a surface level night out than the polished show it could have been. It often feels like a flat performance, despite plenty of energy radiating from the stage. But, I do have to mention the opera scene in which Lila Falce-Bass and Josh Damer Jennings were absolutely astounding. This was a stark reminder of how incredible the show had the potential to be. Everything about this scene was absolutely phenomenal – and still had slapstick humour from Ore yet managed to maintain the emotional charm.

Pretty Woman: The Musical offers a fun trip for fans of the film… I’d urge you to see it for yourself to find out what you think about the show!

On at Curve until 21 September 2024