Review - Friends! The Musical Parody, Theatre Royal Wakefield.
Friends! The Musical Parody, is just that. An irreverent two-hour romp through all 10 seasons of the classic TV series Friends which first aired in 1994 and seems to have been on permanent loop on one or other digital channel ever since.
The skills of the cast (Rebecca Brierley as Rachel Green, Lara Beth-Sas as Monica Geller, Elena Christie as Phoebe Buffay, Thomas Mitchells as Chandler Bing, Mikey Wooster as Ross Geller, and Max Cadman as Joey Tribbiani) are the key to making this show work as well as it does.
The six- 20-something characters who live and love together in 1990s New York are well played with recognisable voices, mannerisms, catchphrases and storylines that even someone like me who saw the series when it was first broadcast could identify with - even if I got a little left behind by some of the intricacies of the stories.
My 28-year-old daughter is a devout fan. The references to characters and plots that went over my head were seized upon by her and caused plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. She enjoyed every moment.
There are a number of digs at the private lives of some of the real-life actors and a song called "The One Where We Make a Million Dollars an Episode is particularly telling.
The show is fast-paced and is lots of fun but shouldn't be taken too seriously.
The scene when 'Janice; slaps Ros in the face face and screams "Get my catchphrase out of your mouth." was very well received and got one of biggest laughs of the night. Most people 'getting' the reference to a recent newsworthy event.
The uncomplicated set works well. The two-sided sofa sets the scene as being either the Central Perk coffee shop or Monica's apartment depending on which way it is facing
If you manage to catch this during its whistle-stop tour around the country over the next few months you're guaranteed a fun night out.