Lauren Crisp is a book editor, writer and keen follower of arts and culture. Born and raised in Harrogate, Lauren recently moved back to North Yorkshire after a stint in London, where she regularly reviewed theatre – everything from big West End shows to small fringe productions. She is now eager to explore the culture on offer in and around her home town.  You can contact Lauren on laurencrispwriter@gmail.com. 

A slick and highly choreographed affair, the production luxuriates in the nostalgia of the 80s and 90s, all neon lights, hairspray and washed denim. Shiny sets transport us between the sidewalks and liquor stores of Sunset Boulevard to the bright lights and boutiques of Rodeo Drive.

Amber Davies, who pursued an acting career after winning 2017’s Love Island, is a vivacious Vivian, and Oliver Savile makes for a suave Edward: both know how to put on a show, but the strength of their vocals is mixed.

It is Natalie Paris, as Vivian’s friend Kit De Luca, who really steals the show with some almighty riffs, along with Ore Oduba, of Strictly Come Dancing fame, who plays a variety of recurring characters in a quasi-narrative role, and whose dance moves are a joy to watch.

The score, written in part by Canadian rocker Bryan Adams, is all soft rock and power ballads; it’s pleasant enough but generally unmemorable, and some lyrics are less than inspired.

There are a few stand-out numbers, though, enlivened by their direction. In A Night at the Opera, the lovebirds sit in an opulent box as cast member Lila Falce-Bass belts out some serious operatic notes; ensemble piece On a Night Like Tonight is charming, lively and laugh-out-loud.

Remaining wholly loyal to its source material and revelling in Vivian and Edward’s unlikely romance and even more unlikely fairy-tale ending, this show is really designed for fans of the original. There is no attempt at refreshing the film’s problematic and outdated tropes; the addition of music aside, this is nothing new.

Concluding with a rousing curtain-call rendition of Roy Orbison’s classic, Oh, Pretty Woman, this is one for the nostalgia seekers.

Pretty Woman: The Musical is on at Leeds Grand Theatre until Saturday, May 25.

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