Review Roundup: BECOMING NANCY at Birmingham Rep

Becoming Nancy at Birmingham Rep, directed and choroegraphed by Jerry Mitchell, held its official press night in the UK on Tuesday 15 October 2024. Read the reviews for Becoming Nancy below!

Becoming Nancy is a coming-of-age story about first love, friendship, and finding your voice.  It has a book by Elliot Davis, music by George Stiles, lyrics by Anthony Drewe, additional music and lyrics by Terry Ronald, Elliot Davis and George Stiles based on the novel by Terry Ronald.  

In Becoming Nancy, it’s 1979 and David Starr is unquestionably one of the smartest, most talented sixth formers in East Dulwich – he’s got a wild imagination, a vocal range to die for, and a bedroom plastered with posters of his beloved pop idols: Blondie, Sting, and Kate Bush.  But being clever, with a great taste in music may not be enough to get him through secondary school, where, to his great surprise, he’s just been given the lead role of Nancy, in the school play, Oliver!  The unconventional casting sends shockwaves to everyone around him – including his parents, his aunt, and his classmates. Before long, it seems like everybody has an opinion on whether David should go on with the show, inspiring him to turn to his no-nonsense best friend Frances and his unlikely co-star Maxie, the enigmatic captain of the football team.  

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Laura Lott: BroadwayWorld: The songs by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe take on a 70s slant too, blending disco with irresistible toe-tapping pop and classic musical theatre. The lyrics, like the show in its entirety, range from comic to deeply heartfelt, and often achieve both at the same time. They're decidedly British too - nowhere else would you get ‘aura’ rhymed with ‘Bloody Nora’! Birmingham Rep have smartly released some of the songs already, though their inherent catchiness means you'll instantly feel familiar with them whether you've listened ahead or not. 

Arika Akbar, The Guardian: Characters seem like automatons for the plot and do not channel any real degree of feeling. The songs are bland, too. Having premiered in Atlanta in 2019 with music by George Stiles and lyrics by Anthony Drewe, this UK premiere has additional songs by Stiles, Davis and Ronald. A few work, such as Who I Am and Ready to Be Touched. But most are generic with lyrics that sometimes sound conversational.

Diane Parkes, WhatsOnStage: Mitchell, whose The Devil Wears Prada opens on the West End later this month, brings a deft hand to Becoming Nancy, which he directed in the US. It’s packed full of gentle humour, fabulous choreography and clever touches while also ensuring we’re rooting for the good guys and yet feeling their pain.

Tristan Harris, Droitwich Standard: But, stealing the show was Joseph Peacock as David – he struck a chord with the audience from the moment he first broke the fourth wall and confided in them. Such was his performance that they tittered and giggled with his light-hearted observations when he made them and cheered him whenever he reached milestones in his ‘coming out’ journey.

Alison Brinkworth, Birmingham World: While the story is predictable, it’s endearing and the rollercoaster of emotions you’ll feel is worth the ride for the uplifting, feel-good finale. There’s a party atmosphere at the end and Becoming Nancy is guaranteed to send you home with a smile.

Jenny Ell, West End Best Friend: Portraying this beautiful story, directed with Mitchell’s clear experience and passion, are a stellar cast led by Joseph Peacock as David Starr, who truly is a star and a complete triple threat. He demonstrates superb comic timing, especially when breaking the fourth wall to address the audience, and invites us along for the emotional ride with him.

Rowan McDonnell, Strand: At its core, Becoming Nancy chronicles our schoolboys' journey throughout the learning and rehearsing process for Oliver!, and it is here that choreography by THE Jerry Mitchell turns everything up from 10 to 1000. From "Welcome to the Beat of My Heart", to "The Play’s The Thing" and "Big Night Tonight", the ensemble actors deserve their flowers every night for the electrifying energy they bring into the Birmingham Rep auditorium.

Daz Gale, All That Dazzles: One element of Becoming Nancy that can’t be faulted on any level is the incredible direction and choreography from Jerry Mitchell. One of the masters in musical theatre, his presence is very much felt with fun choices that elevate the material, even when the book struggles to find coherence. It is his choreography that proves especially jaw-dropping with the opening number, ‘Ready To Be Touched’ and finale ‘Have You Ever Had A Love Like This?’ full of big, loud and proud movement in colourful sequences that it feels impossible not to smile at. It is in standout musical number ‘Just For Today’ where these elements are at their peak, resulting in a joyous sequence among the best I’ve seen in a good while.

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