Betty Blue Eyes

Anyway, the show! I still didn’t have incredibly high expectations going in, but I ended up being quite pleasantly surprised. First, it is delightful just to have some original music, after far too many jukebox musicals. Although the songs will never be in my top 10, there are some very good numbers, and I’ve had “Magic Fingers” particularly stuck in my head many times since the show. And the story, although based on a film, is not nearly as well known as a Legally Blonde, Sister Act or Ghost, so I had the extra enjoyment of not knowing how things were going to turn out.

Much has been made of how the story echoes the current situation, with spending cuts and a royal wedding. The characters are also timeless, particularly Joyce’s longing to climb the social ladder, and Gilbert’s desire to please and support her, but never quite managing to pull it off. This is helped along by the performance of the two leads. Sarah Lancashire is great as Joyce, a strong presence befitting the character and a lovely voice. If you know the role in the film was played by Maggie Smith, you’ll certainly see echoes of her in this performance, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable. Reece Shearsmith is poignantly sweet, and it’s interesting to watch the relationship between the characters unfold, when they seem so mismatched at the start.

Ann Emery was very funny as the Mother, but I confess to being a bit perplexed about the appeal of the meat inspector character. That had nothing to do with Adrian Scarborough’s performance, I just didn’t get what the fuss was about. But the crowd seemed to love him, so I must be in the minority there.

The highlight of the show for me was the “Pig No Pig” scene in Act Two, which was pure farce, hilariously feeding off all the prior set up. As for Betty herself, I’m glad she wasn’t in the show more, as though it was a novelty at first, it would have gotten old if she’d been on stage too much. It’s not all comedy either, as I admit to getting a bit teary at certain points as well.

The sets are lovely, particularly the shopfronts, and the contrast between the bright colours in the background and the muted tones of the costumes is great.

The show in the end is very British, so I’m not sure it would transfer to other markets. But overall I would highly recommend it if you’re in the mood for something sweeter, more original and more intimate than most of what’s playing at the moment.