Review: 'Comedy gold' as Only Fools and Horses The Musical comes to Wolverhampton

So I was very interested to see how it would fare, as the characters trundled into the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre this week, in their yellow three-wheeler Reliant Robin of course, to present an all-singing, all-dancing version of the comedy.

The musical first hit the West End in 2019, playing for just over 1,000 performances before it came to a close in April 2023, but it is now set to return to the capital in December.

The script and original score was written by John Sullivan’s son, Jim Sullivan, and comedian Paul Whitehouse, who also stars in the forthcoming West End production as Grandad.

The storyline is in fact a compilation of several episodes rolled into one. Del Boy is seeking the love of his life, Rodney and Cassandra are preparing to marry, believe it or not, Trigger has a date, and Boycie and Marlene are set to become new parents. So much room for fun and games!

The key to the success of this show is the casting. Every character is outstanding despite the fact that it felt a little strange seeing different faces in the roles of the originals to begin with. However, five minutes in and you are completely hooked.

Sam Lupton is “cushty” as Del Boy with all the cheeky charm and chutzpah the role demands. In fact if the BBC were ever to do a remake of the TV series, Sam would be the perfect choice.

His physical comedy skills and timing are faultless and his delivery of the lines remarkable, yet he also had that rare ability to stir the emotions of the audience in the more serious, tender moments. All in all a first-class performance.

Making his professional debut is Tom Major as Rodney and what a debut it is! With all the innocence and awkwardness of Del’s little brother, he is definitely channelling Nicholas Lyndhurst, but still manages to make the character his own. He certainly matches the experienced actors he is working alongside, and can only learn from them and grow his comedy skills.

Philip Childs has all the sentiment and appeal required to play the role of Grandad and had the audience “ahhing” from the off. In a seasoned performance, he had the audience in the palm of his hand throughout and when he reappeared as Uncle Albert later in the show, the reaction was just as special.

Craig Berry is ideally cast as Boycie, complete with that sarcastic laugh and the common touch, while Lee VG as Trigger is deadpan and simply hilarious in his delivery.

On to the ladies, and Georgina Hagen is wonderfully sweet as Rachel, completely unphased by Del and his mischief, while Nicola Munns plays the dual roles of Rodney’s beloved, Casandra and the perfect Peckham tart, Marlene, nailing each character to a tee.

The variety of exceptionally colourful Cockney characters should be applauded for their acting skills in the background of the scenes, which make it feel as if you are watching a snapshot of real life, not to mention the way in which they move the scenery and props to ensure the show flows as smooth as silk.

Add to the acting some excellent vocal performances from the principal cast and this is pretty much a perfect musical. A highlight was certainly Gloria Acquaah-Harrison’s rendition of Simply Red’s “Holding Back the Years” which delighted in Act Two.

Caroline Jay Ranger and Andrew Bryant’s direction and choreography are slick and fast-paced and they have obviously taken the time to allow the actors to bring aspects of their own interpretation of the characters to the show.

Liz Ashcroft’s costumes are as close to the original series as possible with a surprising amount of detail, even down to Del’s sheepskin coat and Rodney’s lumberjack jacket, and are completely authentic of the time period.

The show is peppered with some of the familiar stunts and gags from the original series too, all executed to perfection. Watch out for Trigger’s broom, references to Batman and Robin, “Dave”, the chandelier and of course Del Boy falling through the bar! Timeless, unforgettable comedy gold!

The score of the show contains all the instantly recognisable music, including the title song of course, but also the new numbers are equally as catchy and upbeat. It was also good to see a female musical director at the helm of the five-strong band, so well done to Rachel Murphy and her team who are without doubt as talented as anyone on the stage.

Even forty years on, “Only Fools and Horses the Musical” is still “lovely jubbly” as the bums on seats at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre this week would indicate. Every performance is practically sold out, but you might be lucky to get a returned ticket, so don’t give up.

Visit grandtheatre.co.uk or call 01902 429212 to book. The show runs until Saturday.

Rating: Five stars