Review: Fame! The Musical (Theatre Royal Plymouth)

Review by Ellie Kevern

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Going to the theatre can often be an immersive experience. It doesn't begin when you take your seat, or even as the overture signals the start of the show. It begins weeks before - when the cast album is played on repeat, when Instagram becomes a carousel of rehearsal photos, backstage videos and tantalising ‘sneak peeks’. It begins with the purchase of a programme, which inevitably ends up slightly sticky from the remnants of Maltesers before Act One has even begun. In other words, we enter the world of a show long before the curtain has the chance to rise, and perhaps that's what makes Fame! The Musical feel so special, particularly when it comes to the brand new production in Plymouth.

Following its European premiere on the same very stage at Theatre Royal Plymouth in 1995, Fame! returns to celebrate its 30th anniversary, but the nostalgia doesn't end there. Just fifteen minutes down the road at TR2, the production has spent months being “reignited, revived and reimagined’’ before making its way back home to the Theatre Royal Plymouth. There's something rather poetic about watching a story centred on ambition and artistic dreams return to the place where so many theatrical dreams are built in the first place. Before a single spotlight is switched on, context alone has already raised the stakes, but the question is could Fame! live up to our expectations?

Set in New York City's High School of Performing Arts, Fame! follows a group of talented young performers as they navigate friendship, heartbreak, identity and the relentless pursuit of success. Their ambitions are intoxicating, their dreams all-consuming, and the sacrifices required to achieve them become increasingly difficult to ignore. Watching it in 2026, however, it's impossible not to see those ambitions through a modern lens.In a world where success is measured in followers.  and carefully curated versions of ourselves, Fame! asks a question that feels just as relevant today as it did in the 1980s: what are we willing to sacrifice to be seen? And does this translate from the page to the stage? A more complicated question than you would think…

It is safe to say that Jose Fernandez's script offers us snapshots rather than a full portrait. Spanning four years at New York City's High School of Performing Arts, Fame! explores the exhilarating highs and devastating lows of chasing artistic dreams. It reminds us that ambition can make you - but just as easily break you. Yet, whilst the intensity of PA life pulses throughout the production, the script rarely lingers long enough to allow its characters the emotional depth they deserve. I found myself longing to spend more time with Tyrone Jackson and his battle with literacy, to delve deeper into Carmen Diaz's relentless pursuit of stardom, or to better understand the shifting relationships between Nick Piazza and Serena Katz as they navigated identity, friendship and sexuality. Even Jose Vegas' larger-than-life bravado hinted at layers waiting to be uncovered, but perhaps that is where this production found its greatest strength.

Where the script skimmed the surface, the performers and creative team filled in the gaps. Every dance sequence seemed to tell the story the dialogue couldn't, with emotions left unsaid finding their way into the movement, glances and choreography, allowing the audience to understand the characters in ways the words never quite managed. The ensemble became the beating heart of the production, moving almost as one organism, carrying us effortlessly from scene to scene.

Tom Jackson Greaves' direction and choreography deserve enormous credit here, ensuring the production never stood still. Scene transitions were slick without feeling hurried, allowing the narrative to flow naturally from one moment to the next. There was an infectious energy that rippled across the stage, from the explosive nature of "Dancin' on the Sidewalk" to the wonderfully unapologetic spectacle of the finale, where shimmering gold spandex somehow became the most appropriate costume choice imaginable. Greaves understands something crucial about Fame! - that it lives as much in movement as it does in dialogue. His choreography effortlessly balanced softness with explosive athleticism, making what can occasionally feel like a rather uneven script burst into vibrant life.

As the audience settled into their seats, there was already the sense that we had arrived somewhere far from Plymouth, instead becoming bystanders in a New York street. Smoke drifted from subway vents, graffiti framed the towering set, and suddenly we were standing on the streets of 1980s New York. The true stroke of genius, however, was the revolving set. Rather than interrupting the momentum with lengthy scene changes, it kept the story constantly moving. Characters appeared almost before we'd realised the previous scene had ended, mirroring the relentless pace of the performing arts world itself. There was nowhere to hide - both literally and metaphorically. Just as the students were forced to keep pushing forwards, so too was the audience. But, it also allowed opportunity for reflection, such as in ‘‘The Teachers’ Argument’’ where we are allowed to see the characters’ past through glimpses of the windows and doors, becoming an effective way of indicating what went on behind the mask.

Lighting designer Richard Howell echoed this beautifully. Warm amber washes and stark white lighting grounded us firmly in reality, whilst richer purples and heightened theatrical lighting only emerged when characters disappeared into fantasies of fame and success. Carmen Diaz's "There She Goes" provided perhaps the clearest example, transporting both Carmen and the audience into the dazzling illusion of celebrity before seamlessly transitioning into the iconic title number. Whilst I did miss hearing "Fame" performed in its entirety as a standalone showstopper, the segue maintained the production's relentless momentum and captured the euphoric fantasy Carmen had built around success.

The costumes remained wonderfully faithful to the decade, serving up an unapologetic feast of leg warmers, oversized silhouettes and enough lycra and shorts over tracksuit bottoms to make the eighties proud. Yet they did more than simply establish the period. Costumes subtly charted each character's journey, nowhere more effectively than with Carmen, whose glamorous image gradually unravelled alongside her dreams. Even a rogue zip threatening to steal the spotlight became insignificant against the production's infectious energy.

Performance-wise, the company was exceptionally strong. Shanay Holmes brought extraordinary regality to Miss Sherman. Even before she sang, she commanded attention through quiet authority alone. Simply walking across a stage became dignified and her narration grounded the production, whilst her powerhouse vocals left an audible ripple through the audience. There was a collective intake of breath, followed by that rare theatre silence where nobody dares move for fear of breaking the spell. Although Tyrone Jackson's storyline feels frustratingly compressed, Amonik Melaco communicates an astonishing amount through movement alone. His dancing carried a weight that the script struggled to articulate, suggesting years of frustration, resilience and hope in every phrase of choreography. Megan Ellis's Serena Katz possessed both sweetness and quiet determination, delivering vocals that left me wishing her story had been explored further. Talia Palamathanan's Carmen Diaz was perhaps the production's greatest slow burn. Initially, I found myself yearning for a little more hunger - for that dangerous obsession with fame that defines Carmen's character. But by the final act, she had completely won me over. Her final scenes were heartbreakingly vulnerable, transforming Carmen from an aspiring star into a young woman crushed beneath the very dream she had spent years chasing.

And perhaps that's what Fame! has always been about - not fame itself, but the cost of wanting it. Beneath the leg warmers and jazz shoes lies a story about identity, belonging and the impossible balancing act between becoming the person the world wants you to be and holding onto who you already are. Nick Piazza, Schlomo and Carmen each wrestle with this in different ways, reminding us that success means very little if it costs you yourself, which brings me back to where I started.

Theatre is never just about the two and a half hours spent watching a performance. It begins with anticipation. It lives in rehearsal photographs, cast albums and programmes stained with melted Maltesers. It continues in conversations during the interval and debates all the way home. Thirty years after first arriving in Plymouth, Fame! still creates that feeling. The audience erupted as the familiar tune of "Fame" echoed through the theatre once more. The crowd was on their feet. There was an undeniable love in the room - not simply for the musical itself, but for everything it represents. Did I enjoy it? Absolutely. Would I recommend it? Without hesitation. But would I rush back to see it again? Perhaps not. However, maybe that's perfectly fitting. After all, Fame! isn't really about reliving the past - it's about celebrating the people brave enough to chase the spotlight - even if only for one unforgettable performance.

Fame! plays at the Theatre Royal Plymouth until 15th August. Tickets from: https://theatreroyal.com/whats-on/fame/

Photos by Johan Persson