Review: Muriel's Wedding - The Musical (Curve Leicester)

Review by Daz Gale

⭐️⭐️⭐️

UK audiences have been spoilt for choice when it comes to musicals based on classic 90s movies in recent years, and it doesn’t look like they will be slowing down anytime soon with the long-awaited UK premiere of Muriel’s Wedding opening at Curve Leicester. WIth a strong fanbase both for the original movie and the musical, would UK audiences fall in love with Muriel or would they find the whole thing terrible?

Originally a movie in 1994, the musical adaptation of Muriel’s Wedding premiered in Sydney in 2017 and, aside from an Australian tour in 2019, has not been seen since… until now. It tells the story of Muriel Heslop who dreams of the perfect wedding but doesn’t seem to have the groom needed to achieve it. Stuck in a dead-end life, she follows her dreams and moves to Sydney where she seems to find everything she ever wanted, but at what cost?

The original writer and director of the movie, PJ. Hogan has adapted the story for the stage. This would usually be where I talk about the differences between the movie and the musical but I must make a shocking confession - I have never seen the movie. If that doesn’t lose me any shred of credibility I have left, nothing will. I can only take this on face value as the story in itself with nothing to compare it to, which is probably a good way to look at the show, with no hint of bias whatsoever. That said, I can see the story has been modernised from its original 1990s setting with up to date references and certain Australian references replaced with a smattering of British ones (unless Tom Daley is a time traveller, of course).

The story itself is full of heart and humour. The comedy takes the lion's share of the story for the first half, while the darker undertones of the story creep in. These explode in a far more somber second act with one particular moving scene near the show’s climax. With two conflicting tones, they didn’t blend together as seamlessly as I would have liked, with the more emotional moments lacking some sort of feeling, to this reviewer anyway. Meanwhile, the more euphoric elements elicited a slight smile as opposed to a full blown beam. That’s not to say there is anything wrong with Muriel’s Wedding but for one reason or another, I couldn’t connect as I would have otherwise hoped.

If you were worried there just aren’t enough musicals featuring the songs of ABBA on stage, Muriel’s Wedding comes to the rescue with a handful of their classic numbers performed as part of the story in some of the more memorable and entertaining sequences, performed by ABBA themselves (ok, not actually them but characters playing them). These are joined by original numbers from Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall. Like the contrasting themes I just spoke about, this can create a conflicting and slightly uneven score, though the original numbers are still pleasant enough in their own right, albeit not as memorable. The standout number comes from early Act Two number ‘Ride Or Die’ while other numbers such as ‘Life Is A Competition’ fail to match that standard.

Inconsistent is a word I kept coming back to while watching Muriel’s Wedding. A complicated LED screen threatened to derail the show before it had even begun with the performance I went to starting late due to this (credit to the hard-working crew for getting this sorted). It is part of a decent set design by Matt Kinley, but it is Andrzej Goulding’s video design that again proves inconsistent. Certain sequences are incredibly impressive while others feel under-developed and unfinished. The uneven standard throughout the same elements was a recurring theme in this production, though still fine in itself, it prevented itself from elevating to those moments of excellence it showed promise from throughout.

One element of Muriel’s Wedding I can’t fault is in its sensational cast. Led by Megan Ellis as the titular Muriel, she is a revelation with her well-rounded characterisation. In an authentic portrayal, she is naturally funny with the characters' moments of shallowness pacing way to a real depth, expertly navigated by Ellis. A real star, she leads the show beautifully. Annabel Marlow is another standout as Rhonda Epinstall, absolutely scene-stealing on her every appearance, the chemistry between the two is when Muriel’s Wedding comes closest to creating magic.

The remainder of the cast are quite underutilised in comparison. Lena Pattie Jones gets THAT iconic line and does a fine job in her performance as Joanie Heslop, while Darren Day channels his best panto villain as Bill Heslop. Ethan Pascal Peters is perfectly charming as Brice Nobes, with Stephen Madsen a late highlight as Alexander Shkuratov. 

There is also a great bit of audience participation where anyone who has bought "wedding seats" will find themselves on stage and part of the action in a charming and humorous touch. Though this is now the second show in as many months that features kazoos as part of it and I am beginning to worry it is becoming a trend!

Fans of the movie are going to love seeing this feel-good story come alive on the stage and for those, like me, who are new to Muriel’s world, there is plenty to enjoy too. There is nothing wrong with this show as such, but I did get the sense it could use a little bit of tightening up to feel more slicker, and allow the bigger moments to really shine through. Though it could certainly be better, Muriel’s Wedding is far from terrible - if somebody asks if you want a ticket for this musical, I’d still recommend saying “I do”.

Muriel’s Wedding plays at Curve Leicester until 10th May. Tickets from https://www.curveonline.co.uk/whats-on/shows/muriels-wedding/ 

Photos by Marc Brenner