Review - Ruby & The Vinyl, Theatre Royal Wakefield

This latest offering from playwright John Godber and his daughter Elizabeth centres on the relationship between two Hull University students Lillie and Tom ( Millie Gaston and George Reid) who meet in Ruby's pop-up record and vintage clothes shop and bond over a shared love of TV box sets.

Wakefield singer and songwriter Ruby Macintosh acts as the narrator of sorts, linking the dialogue with songs and music and holding the plot together - although more could be made of her role.

After first meeting, the young couple spend months working their way through copious series on Netflix at Lillie's flat but it is soon clear that not all is as it seems.

And, as their relationship develops further it becomes apparent that they've not been completely honest with each other and the lines between truth and fiction are blurred

Godber, as ever, pitches the majority of the dialogue at just the right level to make it believable; my only gripe is the overuse of the word 'mate' in conversations between Lillie and Tom which does grate at times.

Gaston is a sweet and likable Lillie and Reid a happy-go-lucky Tom with a boyish grin and bags of enthusiasm.

Ruby Macintosh's vintage-inspired musical numbers are catchy and memorable, and with piano and percussive accompaniment from Gaston and Reid show off the accomplished vocal talents of all three performers.

I first saw this production at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2016. Since then it has been beefed up with extra dialogue and musical numbers and is all the better for it. The feelings of the characters are better developed and their relationship explored in more detail.

Until Saturday February 12 and then on tour.

Tickets: www.theatreroyalwakefield.co.uk