There is a buzz of excitement quickly growing for a new British musical that recently premiered at West End Live earlier this year, before embarking on their UK tour just over a month ago. 'Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World', based on the acclaimed children’s book of the same name by Emmeline Pankhurst- descendent, Kate Pankhurst, burst onto the Liverpool Playhouse stage with contagiously uplifting and heartfelt energy from start to finish.
The show begins and we meet
ten-year-old Jade, played by Éva- Marie
Saffrey on 09/12/21, and her favourite teddy bear, ‘Bearoncé’, who have snuck away from their class trip to the museum
and stumbled upon a brand new, unopened exhibit entitled the ‘Gallery Of
Greatness’. Once there, they both embark upon a great adventure, meeting a
grand array of fantastically great women along the way who help Jade discover and understand a lot more
about herself than she was expecting.
With Kenny Wax on board as producer (Six
The Musical) along with a few a few other familiar faces to fellow 'Six' fans, the recognisable vibe of their
signature musical- stamp was felt throughout, especially during the extravagant
superhero interlude of 'Mary, Mary And
Marie', and effective use of modernised, neon costuming used throughout the
75- minute performance, designed by the award- winning Joanna Scotcher.
Thanks to a wonderful execution of multi-role throughout the show, we get to see the world through Jade’s eyes as she learns about the great women who came before her, and how they each helped to shape the world in which we live today. The characterisation of each role, expertly executed by Jade Kennedy; playing Sacagawea, Frida Kahlo, and Marie Curie, Frances Mayli McCann; Emmeline Pankhurst, Agent Fifi, and Miss
Johnson, Christina Modestou; Gertrude Ederle, Jane Austen, and Mary Anning, and Merseyside- born Renée Lamb; Amelia Earhart, Rosa Parks, and Mary Seacole, brought with them sharp, symbolic choreography by the brilliant Dannielle ‘Rhimes’ Lecointe, and ear-wig-worthy lyrics and music by the brilliant Chris Bush, Miranda Cooper, and Jennifer Decilveo; coupled with emotive and engaging performances by all on stage made for a fast, fierce and funny show that was thoroughly enjoyed by all ages in attendance.
A special mention goes out to the hilarious Christina Modestou for her razor- sharp comedy timing and physicality, Renée Lamb for her beautifully warm voice and portrayal of Rosa Parks in 'Lullaby Little Girl', and young Éva- Marie Saffrey for leading the show with vibrance and fire, and for showing us how far we as women have come, and how far we are yet to go.
Scotcher’s set design was minimal and functional, including effective neon bordering of different boxes, staging and platforms; the band being positioned in view of the audience for a stripped-back and inclusive feel which extended to the feel of the musical as a whole; a refreshing watch from many current large-scale, naturalistic sets and productions, and further representative of the modern times in which we live.
'Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World' is an empowering, heartfelt show for both young and old that acknowledges the past, whilst actively looks towards the future of the women’s rights movement. I hope that the essential and wonderful diversity of the cast and creative team we see in this production- including women of colour, non-binary creatives and queer women, is not just a wake-up call to a worrying amount of the rest of the industry and an example of how true inclusivity is executed, but also a ray of hope for young people, especially girls and non-binary people, who watch this show to feel connected to those they see on stage and behind the scenes. This is the show I needed growing up. I wish it the best of luck with the rest of its tour and will be the first at the picket line (excuse the pun) campaigning for a West- End transfer when the time comes.
Reviewer - Neve Francis
on - 9.12.21
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