Theatre Review: WAG! The Musical - Charing Cross Theatre ✭✭✭

WAG! The Musical

Charing Cross Theatre

Review by Unsa Chaudri

Wednesday 24th July 2013: WAGs and the celebrity culture often fascinates and this show plays to that. Full of clichéd characters and cameos by self-proclaimed WAGs, WAG! The Musical is a mixed bag of entertainment and ridicule.

Jenny (Daisy Wood-Davis) dreams of a life where she is free from the clutches of Mr Frank (Tim Flavin) and his department store. Her work colleague and friend Sharron (Amy Scott), who is plagued by her own issues, including suffering from domestic abuse, tries to encourage her friend to be more realistic in her ambitions.

Mr Frank, the department store Manager introduces a new clothing range to the store, bringing with it a big launch. Whenever there is a launch, there’s always a celebrity or two in tow, cue Lizzie Cundy as Zoe.

Zoe is in a relationship with a footballer, who isn’t in a position to give her the life she has become accustomed to and consequently sets her eyes on the camp Mr Frank unaware that he also cannot give her what she wants.

Jenny, we soon discover, is the mistress of Charlie, a well to do footballer, who promises to whisk her away to Italy to live the life she dreams of. They plan to leave just after the launch but things don’t quite go to plan…

WAG! The Musical is in parts entertaining. There are comical moments teamed with cringe worthy moments.

With her wit and charm, Alyssa Kyria’s Greek WAG, Ariadne is a hit with the audience, though you can’t help but feel she is misplaced in the show – perhaps she should be given her own.

Blo Jo, performed by the fantastic Katie Kerr is another tick for the musical. Comical and charming, you find yourself warming toward her.

The ensemble help carry the show but the musical numbers are very similar.

I had reservations about seeing WAG! The Musical, mainly because I thought it would be a stereotypical, clichéd performance, which in parts it is, but it is also fun and there are some endearing elements, particularly the friendship between Jenny and Sharron, where the true potential of what could have been is seen.

Three stars ✭✭✭

www.wagthemusical.com

Listings information

WAG! The Musical

Book by Belvedere Pashun

Music & Lyrics by Grant Martin, Thomas Giron-Towers

and Tony Bayliss

Charing Cross Theatre

(formerly New Players Theatre)

The Arches,

Villiers Street

LONDON