Review: 50 First Dates: The Musical (The Other Palace)

Review by Daz Gale

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We are seeing an abundance of much-loved movies from the 2000s making their way to the stage lately, with The Devil Wears Prada still thrilling audiences in the West End, and 13 Going On 30 opening in Manchester ahead of a hoped West End run (look out for my review on that next week). The latest to join the growing list is 50 First Dates, settling into The Other Palace for its world premiere production. Having fallen in love with the film all those years ago, would seeing this musical feel like falling in love all over again for the first time, or would it prove to be an experience I’d be in a hurry to forget?

Based on the 2004 film starring Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler, 50 First Dates sees notorious bachelor Henry fall in love with art teacher Lucy. They have an amazing first date he will never forget - the only problem is, she will. Faced with short-term memory loss that means it is impossible for her to remember the previous day, Henry attempts for the pair to fall in love all over again each and every day, while trying to find a way to make their unusual predicament work.

While the essence of the original story remains, 50 First Dates has been updated and modernised. Taking place in an entirely new setting, Henry is now an influencer instead of a veterinarian (easy career to side-step) and, instead of a video tape (ask your grandparents), he uses an iPad for a key moment in the show - amongst many other changes, On paper though, it is still the same distinct story fans of the film know and love.

David Rossmer and Steve Rosen’s adaptation of the story has some great qualities to it, namely, in the balance of staying true to the original story and finding new ways to update it and make it translate just as effectively on stage. Their biggest strength is in how much heart they fill the story with, in a show that is effortlessly sweet and charming and guaranteed to put a smile on your face. However, not every aspect of the book is quite as successful, with some moments feeling underwritten and under-developed, namely the supporting characters, many of whom suffer from being too one note and not fleshed out at all. Some of the dialogue could use tightening up, with a few too many niche jokes of a Disney park that could fly over the heads of anyone who isn’t familiar, doing nothing to help the story, and an overuse of terrible puns feels wholly unnecessary (and that is coming from me, of all people). 

Rossmer and Rosen are also responsible for the original music and lyrics that fill 50 First Dates. There are a couple of decent songs in there, but the rest feel a bit too by-numbers, never quite landing in the way you would hope. The result is a collection of songs that don’t prove very memorable, perhaps fittingly enough. Though it is a different story entirely, the usage of a single day repeating has also been done in Groundhog Day in a show that has a great example of how to repeat motifs - the songs here all have a certain element to them, but could use a bit more refining to get to a standard that matches the strengths seen elsewhere.

Casey Nicholaw once again brings his skill and vision to bring this story to life on stage, with some expert choices that make use of the cosy but versatile stage at The Other Palace. Exploding with life, Nicholaw is great at amplifying the heart in the story, and attempting to form a connection with the audience and empathy for the plight of Henry and Lucy. The choice to have the musical as a singular act is an interesting one, and one that we are seeing a lot more of recently. While I am usually more in favour of a one-act structure, I did feel like perhaps 50 First Dates may have benefited from an interval. It all seems to go by too quickly, and while that isn’t necessarily a bad thing (no need to check your watch here), this was one first date I didn’t want to go by so quickly.

While Nicholaw’s direction shines throughout, some of the design elements falter somewhat. While the set design by Fly Davis has moments of beauty, it all falls apart… quite literally at the performance I attended, where the set can only be described as badly behaved. While that may have been an issue resigned to one specific performance, it did heighten the weaknesses of the set, which never quite elevated the story as you would hope. While this is a smaller stage and I wouldn’t necessarily expect a big lavish West End production, from previous shows I have seen at The Other Palace, I know more can be achieved here, and a bit more design and detail here would have gone a long way. Similarly, the video design cheapened the production, almost feeling tacky in places. It feels as if too much was attempted with its inclusion, whereas a simpler set without the video may have provided a stronger and more pleasing aesthetic.

One aspect of 50 First Dates that can’t be faulted at all is that of its unforgettable cast. Josh St. Clair gets the balance right between cocksure and charming as Henry. Though the musical could benefit with more of a natural arc when it comes to the growth of his character, St. Clair makes the most of these obstacles, delivering an impeccable performing with singing, acting and stage presence all as striking as each other, setting him up as a strong and reliable leading man.

Having blown audiences away with her turn as Regina George in Mean Girls, Georgina Castle does it all over again, reminding everyone what a force to be reckoned with in a striking turn as Lucy. Tapping into the sweetness of the character, Castle also gets moments to showcase her comedic abilities, while keeping the tragic undertone of her character’s circumstances. The moment Castle sets foot on stage, she lights it up, making the show exponentially better. Though she may not get a moment quite as iconic as ‘World Burn’ or ‘Someone Gets Hurt’, she delivers a consistent and captivating performance throughout.

The rest of the cast suffer from underwritten roles, but that doesn’t stop them from showcasing their God-given talents anyway. Highlights among the clearly talented but frustratingly under-utilised actors are Chad Saint Louis, demonstrating a seemingly limitless vocal range as Sandy - certainly one to watch in the future., while Natasha O'Brien is satisfyingly scene-stealing as Delilah. Elsewhere, Aiesha Naomi Pease gets the biggest vocal moments of the show as Ukulele Sue, though I wanted to learn more about her - the same can be said for Ricky Rojas, who oozes such star quality that he doesn’t need to do anything to deliver a strong performance in itself, as demonstrated with his criminally underdeveloped part here.

Whether you love the film or can’t remember it at all, there is something for everyone to fall in love with at 50 First Dates. It’s not as strong as it could be, but all the right elements are there - it’s just in need of a bit of fine-tuning to really make audiences swoon. When it is good, it is very good - but I got the sense it could have been so much better still. The result is a pleasant if not groundbreaking experience that may prove pleasing, but is ultimately not as memorable as I would have liked. Though I had a good time during the show itself, I found myself struggling to remember it the next day.

50 First Dates plays at The Other Palace until 16th November. Tickets from https://allthatdazzles.londontheatredirect.com/musical/50-first-dates-the-musical-tickets

Photos by Pamela Raith