REVIEW: NEVER FORGET, New Wimbledon Theatre, October 20 2009

"People seem to think that pop songs are easy to write. They're not. They're the hardest thing in the world." That's Pete Waterman, who knows a bit about these things, explaining that capturing "Boy meets Girl; Boy loses Girl; Boy gets Girl back" in three minutes is a gift given to few - after all, if pop songs were easy to write, we'd all do it. I should be so lucky!

Never Forget stitches together the best of Gary Barlow's work (with a bit of help from Barry Manilow) into a plot that does the Waterman trick over a couple of hours, transforming a bunch of poppy ballads into a "Moss Side Story" as a bunch of Mancunian Likely Lads form a Take That tribute band (narrowly avoiding making the whole concept a dud by forming a Brother Beyond tribute band). Naturally, they sing and dance their way to success, learning just a little about loyalty and life along the way. There's some cardboard cutout characters to flesh out the plot and why not? Svengali pop manger? Check. Ice Queen Temptress leading lead singer astray? Check. Girl Next Door who loses her man, then gets him back? Check. Gay boy in band? Check.

But complaining that Never Forget isn't The Cherry Orchard is rather obviously missing the point. The very mixed house, old and young, male and female, gay and straight, are there for entertainment and they get that from a cast that stays just this side of postmodern knowingness, avoiding sending the whole thing up and starting panto season two months early. As the Take That avatars, Mark Willshire, Paul-Michael Jones, Tom Bradley, Philip Olivier and Scott Garnham deliver their turns with winning winsomeness. They are supported well by some old stagers and bright young things who belt out the ballads and look very good in a dizzying display of costumes.

Ironically, Never Forget won't linger long in the memory, but that doesn't mean that the evening isn't rewarding - it's pure, undemanding entertainment, that's fun for the kids, parents and grandparents and almost certainly a lot better than that panto coming to a theatre near you sooner than you think!

Never Forget is on tour

Nottingham Theatre Royal                      27 - 31 October

Cheltenham Everyman                           3 - 7 November

Hull New Theatre                                 10 - 14 November

Wolverhampton Grand                           24 - 28 November

Liverpool Empire                                   1 - 5 December

Fairfield Halls, Croydon                          22 - 30 December

Brighton Theatre Royal                          5 - 9 January

The Orchard Theatre, Dartford               12 - 16 January

Grimsby Auditorium                               19 - 23 January

Mayflower Theatre, Southampton 26 - 30 January

Journal Tyne Theatre, Newcastle 2 - 6 February