Made in Dagenham

Made in Dagenham

Adelphi Theatre, London

"Inspired by a true story and based on the hit movie, Made in Dagenham is the uplifting new West End musical comedy about friendship, love and the importance of fighting for what is right."

www.madeindagenhamthemusical.com

 Having not seen the movie, I had no idea what I was anticipating when I went to see 'Made in Dagenham'. In saying that I had been forewarned by friends about the show leaving my expectations on the lower side of the spectrum. Nevertheless, when the curtain was raised you are greeted with a spectacle. It took a couple of numbers to get comfortable with what was happening on stage though once we entered the mighty Ford factory, it began to flow quite well. You are given clear context of class from the very beginning of the performance, the struggle of the O' Grady family is evident. The set is beautifully designed and ran without any major hitches. I would question the necessity of the truck that was used for the O' Grady's home and the Factory Office scenes - in that its entrances jittered the slickness of an otherwise flawless set design.

The cast worked really well as an ensemble and there were many memorable musical numbers that will go down in musical theatre history. There was a good balance of ballads to choral number with harmonies that delivered with vigor. Though the choreography was well executed, it could have been a little more dynamic. Eddie O' Grady performed by Adrian Der Gregorian, played a fantastic performance with a tremendous vocal. So too did lead actress Gemma Arterton, in an acting capacity, however her vocal ability did not meet the standard of the production.

The response from the audience was surreal. The reactions to the equality rallies and the unprecedented hissing from towards the protagonist males such as the Prime Minister were completely unexpected. I thoroughly enjoyed the performance and I look forward to returning again in a few months time when it will be even better!