Back to the Future: The Musical ★★★★★ Adelphi Theatre | From September 13, 2021


The future of the theatre is here! Whether you are a fan of the film franchise or have never seen one of the movie blockbusters, you will love this show. It's a wonderful immersive experience that captures all of the fun and silliness of the original while taking theatrical spectacle to a whole new level. Finn Ross (video design) and Tim Lutkin (lighting design) really have pulled out all the stops. The visual effects are quite stunning, but the great thing here is that the terrific cast of performers are not overwhelmed by these production values. We completely shared Olly Dobson's wonder as he created a completely credible Marty McFly, and Roger Bart was wonderfully goofy as Doc Brown, the unlikely inventor of the time machine. The other stand-out for us was Hugh Coles as the awkward, endearing George McFly. Kudos also to Rosanna Hyland (Lorraine Baines) and Aidan Cutler (Biff). For this production, Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard have contributed several new songs but the old favourites "Power of Love" and "Johnny B. Goode" remain the show's highlights. Strong choreography by Chris Bailey, on-the-mark sets by Tim Hatley and deft direction by John Rando – it all worked for us. Power up the DeLorean! We can easily imagine ourselves going back to this Future again and again.

Rated: ★★★★★

Reviewed by S.B.
Photo by Sean Ebsworth Barnes.

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When, Where, Getting there:
Map & Location: Strand, London WC2R 0NS, UK

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