FRIENDS! The Musical Parody: Review

AD: Press Tickets thanks to Malvern Theatres

FRIENDS! The Musical Parody is a light-hearted musical adaptation of the iconic series. The stage show takes the well-known characters and storylines from the TV series Friends, exaggerates the humour and throws in some tunes. Rather than retelling the series episode by episode, it picks out familiar moments and runs through them in a fun, tongue-in-cheek way.

The show features original songs, plenty of jokes for long-time fans, and all the references you’d expect if you grew up with the programme. It’s fast-paced, silly, and doesn’t take itself too seriously. This is a tuneful celebration of the sitcom rather than a straightforward recreation of it.

The Cast of FRIENDS! The Musical Parody

A small cast bring the six friends to life, along with a few well-known side characters. The actors take on the recognisable quirks of each role. Ross’s glum geekiness, Monica’s intensity, Joey’s charm, Phoebe’s eccentricity, Rachel’s glamour and Chandler’s humour.

The ensemble who pop up throughout the show are great fun too, with Gunther taking on a slightly larger role than just serving the coffee. Friends fans will definitely love the production’s portrayal of Janice.

• Enzo Benvenuti – Ross
• Alicia Belgarde as Monica
• Daniel Parkinson – Chandler
• Eva Hope – Rachel
• Ronnie Burden – Joey
• Amelia Atherton – Phoebe
• Edward Leigh – Gunther, Tom Selleck and Paolo
• Lottie Lester, Meg Darcy, Jared Thompson, Harry Mallaghan – ensemble.

The creative team includes Director Michael Gyngell, Choreographer Myles Brown, and Book and Lyrics by Bob and Tobly McSmith, with music by Assaf Gleizner.

What I thought of the show

I wasn’t sure what to expect of a musical parody of a series that was already a comedy. I’ve never really been a fan of over the top humour, so I was nervous that I wouldn’t enjoy this. However, I’m pleased to say that it was really well done. The music was a great combination of originals and recognisable songs.

The individuals didn’t look exactly like their character from the series, but most of them had really strong mannerisms that made sure the audience could see the main attributes of each of the friends shine through. Likewise, the way they interacted with each other worked really well.

This is a whistlestop tour of the ten series of Friends. To get the most out of the production, I think you do need to be a Friends fan. There are lots of jokes that you’ll only get if you’ve watched it – which most of the audience clearly had. This created a fun atmosphere, with lots of laughs and even some audience interaction.

FRIENDS! The Musical Parody FAQs