This bright and pacy new musical by Emma Culshaw & David Paul, is firmly rooted in Merseyside but centres on the unlikely coupling of bridal wear and American Country & Western music. The entire action takes place in an up-market bride dress shop as a cast of eight take us through a musical journey celebrating the greats of the genre (including Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and Tammy Wynette and Shania Twain). Aside from the singing and dancing, there is a rich mix of relationships and personal hang-ups amongst the main characters, with doubling-up enabling us to be introduced to a curious mix of eccentric and unusual customers.
The atmosphere in the shop is often reminiscent of Edwina and Saffron visiting Harvey Nicks in ‘Absolutely Fabulous’, where physical appearance and style battle to take precedence over personal insecurities and disfunctions. To complicate things further, there is a strong LGBT presence, in the form of Shania (played by Shania Pain) and Sue (played by David Heath). The complicated mix of emotions and connections is held together at a constant frenetic pace, as spontaneous country and music songs are weaved into the plot (although it is perhaps a little unsubtle to have the central character played by Leanne Campbell named ‘Jolene’!).
With an impressive set which remains constant throughout, no time is needed for changes of scenery but even so, blackouts between scenes literally last no more than 5 seconds, during which time characters leave the stage or are repositioned as music of the current song fades, giving an almost cinematic quality to the passage of time. The pace never slacks and at times it is hard to keep up with who is interested in who but the central issue is that Jolene had been jilted at her wedding some years before and the man in question, Hank, played by Conor Barrie, is now back on the scene but engaged to another woman. Hank is American and perhaps not surprisingly, has a taste for Country & Western clothing (possibly because he comes from Nashville?).
This show is first and foremost a comedy but be warned, it is for the broad-minded, both in the language, nature of humour and comic representations of nudity. There is nothing irreverent or shocking and there are no nasty digs or satires but it is not for nothing that the show has an 18+ warning (and somehow, this reviewer got away with taking his 95 yr-old mother!).
There are too many different characters in this show to give individual attention to each one but two that seemed to stand out are Faye, the shop manager, played by Jenna Sian O’Hara, who gives an air of constancy amidst all the shenanigans going on around her ( whilst having her own inner issues to contend with) and Mikey played by Shania Pain. Interestingly, Shania’s female persona is in-yer-face, over-emotional and quite scary but as a white suited male, there is a tenderness and humanity in the character of Mikey which is much more relatable. It is also worth noting that these two characters sing what is the only true duet in the show, with a cracking rendition of ‘Stand by your man’.
The audience at press night was very enthusiastic and if you want a fun show full of classic singalong songs with ribald humour from a plethora of outrageous characters, you are likely to feel the same way and you don’t really have to be a fan of Country & Western music to enjoy the show; the action after all takes place in Merseyside!
Achy Breaky Bride is on at the Theatre Royal St Helens until Sunday 27th September - https://www.
Reviewer: John Waterhouse
On: 24th September 2026
