FRIENDS! The Musical Parody - UK Tour Review
- Thomas Levi
- 9 hours ago
- 6 min read
★★★☆☆
Friends! The Musical Parody opened its UK tour at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal, drawing crowds eager to see their favourite coffee-loving pals brought to life on stage. But is this show just for the die-hard fans who can quote every episode, the casual viewers who tune in for comfort laughs, or even newcomers who’ve never seen an episode? The truth is delightfully mixed: whichever camp you fall into, you’re bound to leave with something.
FRIENDS! The Musical Parody takes the world’s most beloved group of twenty-somethings — Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe — on a musical journey through all ten seasons of Friends. Set in 1990s New York City, the parody takes iconic moments such as Rachel’s first coffee shop job at Central Perk, Ross’s “we were on a break,” Monica’s obsessive cleanliness, Joey’s “How you doin’?”, and weaves them into a brand new original score filled with nostalgic flair. From romantic mix-ups to career dilemmas, focusing on the friendships along the way. Under the guidance of the producers of Hairspray and the director of The Full Monty, this is a tribute to both the sitcom and musical theatre.
The story structure is surprisingly neat, charting all ten seasons of the sitcom in under two hours. We open in Central Perk with the gang lounging on the famous orange sofa, only for Rachel to burst in wearing her wedding dress, and from there the show hurtles through break-ups, make-ups, and Thanksgiving turkeys at dizzying speed. Writers Bob and Tobly McSmith have clearly combed every episode for its juiciest quotes and set pieces, creating a greatest-hits package that die-hard fans will recognise instantly and relish.
The trouble is that this breakneck approach leaves little breathing room. Many of the jokes, though smartly written and well delivered, fly past before anyone can really savour them. There were no pauses after the punchlines for the audience to actually laugh at the jokes. For the casual viewer, or anyone less than encyclopaedic about Ross and Rachel’s saga, some of the references barely register, and the plot can feel like a blur of winks and nods. Even the most iconic scenes are skimmed so quickly that if you so much as glance at the programme, you risk missing a punchline. Monica’s turkey-head ‘bit’ was over and done in under 10 seconds!
What can’t be faulted is the affection radiating from the stage. It’s obvious that the cast, crew and creatives are lifelong fans, and that enthusiasm is infectious. There’s a giddy delight in the way they tiptoe around copyright (“How You Doin’” is fine, but “Smelly Cat” is off limits and gets a cheeky smile of a reference), and the whole company throw themselves into the pastiche with gleeful abandon. For audiences who live and breathe the original series, that love letter quality will be irresistible, even if, for everyone else, a gentler pace and fewer in-jokes might have made the party more inclusive.
One of the most striking performances of the night came from Eva Hope as Rachel Green. Hope didn’t just play Rachel, she channelled her. From the tilt of her head to the perfect “wait, what?” expression, she captured Jennifer Aniston’s blend of charm and mild chaos so completely that, at times, you could almost believe Rachel had stepped out of the TV and onto the stage. Her duets with Ross, particularly “Central Perk Tango” and “Will They, Won’t They,” sparkled with chemistry and allowed Hope to shine in her role.
Equally impressive was Alicia Belgarde’s Monica, who combined whip-smart energy with powerhouse vocals. Belgarde’s take on Monica wasn’t just a lookalike performance; it added vocal flair that lifted the entire production. Her partnership with Hope shone in the number “Two Girls, One Condom,” which the pair delivered with perfect deadpan glee. Thanks in part to Assaf Gleizner’s lively score, Belgarde’s voice filled the theatre, reminding us that parody can still pack a serious vocal punch.
Then there was Daniel Parkinson as Chandler Bing (and, occasionally, as Janice). Parkinson’s Chandler brimmed with energy and commitment; he threw himself into the character’s awkward asides and elastic body language with gusto. At times, his trademark “Chandler” voice wandered into Mickey Mouse territory, and the relentless pace sometimes undercut his punchlines, making it obvious how much the role relies on space for a joke to breathe. But Parkinson more than redeemed himself whenever he donned Janice’s leopard print. His performance in “OMG, It’s Janice” was a riot. Big vocals, exaggerated gestures, and that unmistakable “Oh. My. God!” a showstopper that brought the house down.
One of the show’s smartest tricks is that it doesn’t just parody Friends; it cheekily parodies musical theatre, too. A handful of numbers wink at theatre classics, a splash of Part Of Your World here, a dash of Cell Block Tango, even a sprinkling of Seasons of Love. For anyone fluent in show tunes, these nods are a delight, and Assaf Gleizner’s score gleefully weaves in fragments of “I’ll Be There for You,” proving there’s real craft behind the silliness.
Yet, for all the clever references, some creative choices land with a thud. The most jarring is the peppering of unnecessary swearing. It’s not constant, but when they arrive, they feel oddly abrasive, particularly in a parody of a sitcom famous for its family-friendly charm. Likewise, the sexual humour, so playfully suggestive in the original series, is often aggressively handled here. What once felt like cheeky innuendo sometimes veers towards crudeness, with lines like “wet pussy” clanging against the otherwise bouncy, good-natured vibe. Parody thrives on exaggeration, but it doesn’t need to shout, repeat, and hammer it home when a sly wink will do.
Where the production really earns its applause is in its design and direction. Andrew Exeter’s set evokes the buzz of a TV studio while cleverly morphing into the familiar haunts of Central Perk, Monica’s apartment, and beyond, all with a quick flip of chipboard panels. Jenny Quirk’s costumes and Craig Forrest-Thomas’s wigs capture the essence of the six friends (and more) with precision, striking a balance between cosplay and theatrical flair. At the helm, Michael Gyngell keeps the chaos (mostly) corralled, ensuring the pace never sags. When the production relaxes into its own mischief, rather than rushing to tick every box, its affection for the source material truly shines.
Edward Leigh deserves a special mention for his chameleon turn as everyone from Gunther to Tom Selleck — but it’s his stint as the show’s Warm-Up Artist that really makes an impression. Both acts open with Leigh bounding onstage, mic in hand, rallying the crowd with call-and-response and a flurry of quips. It’s a clever nod to the unsung heroes who kept the original studio audience buzzing, and Leigh handles it with charisma to spare. (Frankly, I’d rather see him hosting a Saturday-night game show than Stephen Mulhern!) Still, the segment could use a tweak or two: give him a proper introduction (“Welcome to the stage, your warm-up artist…”) so the audience isn’t left guessing. Secondly, let the banter lean on Friends trivia (Who’s your favourite character? What’s your favourite moment in the show?) rather than three rounds of “Who are you here with?” Root the warm-up in the world we’ve come to see, not the mundane.
As for the remaining trio, Enzo Benevuti’s Ross and Ronnie Burden’s Joey grow into their roles as the evening progresses. Act One finds them circling their interpretation of the characters, but by Act Two, they settle into something recognisably Geller-ish and Tribbiani-esque. Amelia Atherton faces the toughest challenge as Phoebe. She sings beautifully and has comic instincts to burn, but her performance is an invention of a whole new Phoebe Buffay… and the audience clearly longed for a closer echo of Lisa Kudrow’s gloriously off-beat original. It’s an understandable instinct to bring something new, but in a parody this affectionate, fidelity counts.
Ultimately, Friends! The Musical Parody is an energetic, lovingly crafted send-up that doesn’t always hit the mark. When the jokes have room to breathe and the cast lean into the sheer silliness of it all, the show captures the warm, caffeine-fuelled chaos that made the sitcom iconic. At other times, the frantic pace and uneven character work leave casual viewers scrambling for a foothold. Die-hard fans, though, will find plenty to smile at, from sly song pastiches to lovingly recreated catchphrases. If you’re fluent in Central Perk, this lively spoof is worth a watch; just don’t expect every punchline to land as smoothly as a perfectly brewed latte.
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