REVIEW | Little Miss Sunshine; A Road Musical
Haymarket Theatre, Leicester
★★★ 1/2
'The road to happiness is a bumpy ride' and we take the ride of a lifetime with Selladoor Productions new musical comedy, Little Miss Sunshine. Selladoor Productions are having a stellar 2019 with the likes of Avenue Q, Amelie, Madagascar and 9to5 The Musical touring across the country as well as in the west end!
Based on the Oscar-winning 2006 film that centres around the Hoover family. They're a family with their fair share of troubles but young, ambitious Olive (Evie Gibson) has her heart set on big dreams - to win the title of Little Miss Sunshine at a beauty pageant. However, for this to dream to even become in reach of reality the family must pile into their dilapidated yellow camper van and travel for 800 miles to reach California.
The storyline is easy to follow for those unfamiliar with the story and the score sits well alongside it but they're not the strongest element in this production. They are used as an extension to the dialogue rather than big musical numbers you'd expect from a musical. The touring cast is helped by a 6 piece band who are situated on stage, they provide a fantastic sound for the musical and help move the performance along fluidly.
Little Miss Sunshine is the perfect remedy for a joyous visit to the theatre. It has the ideal blend of humour and heartwarming touches that will make it an enjoyable watch for the entire family. It touches on the celebration of family, the potholes in every road, and the power of overcoming our differences. Some elements of the show didn't draw me in like the simplistic staging and musical score but the story and characters themselves really drew me in.
Little Miss Sunshine is touring throughout the UK until 12 October 2019. You can find out more on the tour dates and book your tickets here.
'The road to happiness is a bumpy ride' and we take the ride of a lifetime with Selladoor Productions new musical comedy, Little Miss Sunshine. Selladoor Productions are having a stellar 2019 with the likes of Avenue Q, Amelie, Madagascar and 9to5 The Musical touring across the country as well as in the west end!
Based on the Oscar-winning 2006 film that centres around the Hoover family. They're a family with their fair share of troubles but young, ambitious Olive (Evie Gibson) has her heart set on big dreams - to win the title of Little Miss Sunshine at a beauty pageant. However, for this to dream to even become in reach of reality the family must pile into their dilapidated yellow camper van and travel for 800 miles to reach California.
The storyline is easy to follow for those unfamiliar with the story and the score sits well alongside it but they're not the strongest element in this production. They are used as an extension to the dialogue rather than big musical numbers you'd expect from a musical. The touring cast is helped by a 6 piece band who are situated on stage, they provide a fantastic sound for the musical and help move the performance along fluidly.
Collectively the cast in this production is sublime. All of the characters except for Olive are riddled with problems. The dad Richard is hoping for his self-help book to be published, on the other hand, mum Sheryl is worried about the mounting of debts and the lack of attention from her husband. Sheryl's brother Frank is recovering from a suicide attempt whilst Olive's brother Dwayne who is selective mute dreams of being a fighter pilot. Then Little Miss Sunshine is the perfect remedy for a joyous visit to the theatre.
It has the ideal blend of humour and heartwarming touches that will make it an enjoyable watch for the entire family. It touches on the celebration of family, the potholes in every road, and the power of overcoming our differences. Each of their stories adds depth to this musical comedy.
There's no doubt that the casting for this production is fantastic and Evie Gibson is most definitely the star of the show as Olive. She handles the lead role well and is a pleasure to watch throughout the musical, taking the difficulty of all the stage direction and script in her stride.
Little Miss Sunshine is the perfect remedy for a joyous visit to the theatre. It has the ideal blend of humour and heartwarming touches that will make it an enjoyable watch for the entire family. It touches on the celebration of family, the potholes in every road, and the power of overcoming our differences. Some elements of the show didn't draw me in like the simplistic staging and musical score but the story and characters themselves really drew me in.
Little Miss Sunshine is touring throughout the UK until 12 October 2019. You can find out more on the tour dates and book your tickets here.