Starter For Ten, Bristol Old Vic Review

The cast of Starter for Ten. Photo by Marc Brenner

Written by Eliott for Theatre & Tonic

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.

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For anyone who has sat down to enjoy David Nicholls' 2003 novel, Starter for Ten, which tells the story of Brian Jackson, a young boy in 1985, who grew up with the dream of meeting his idol, Bamber Gascoigne, and being on a team for the TV Show University Challenge, let us reassure you that under the helm of Emma Hall & Charlie Parham, who provide the book & lyrics for this musical adaptation, the beloved story is in the safest hands possible to guide the story onto stage. 

In creating a musical which already has a strong narrative from its source material, bringing to life the characters on stage has been executed exceptionally well by Casting Director Will Burton, with the likes of TV's Mel Giedroyc taking on Irene, Brain's mum, who keeps putting off painting the walls in her home in Southend-on-Sea in fear of 'pressing play' and resuming her life after the death of her husband. Emily Lane, who we last saw as Anna in Disney's Frozen, is worlds away from that beloved story here to tackle Alice Harbinson, a student at Bristol University who dreams of being a star, and has undoubtedly one of the greatest numbers in the show, which depicts the moments in her life where love has been at the foreground. 

Adam Bregman is a strong lead as Brian Jackson, who battles with his social views and class systems throughout the show. When worlds collide in Act Two as Spencer (Stephenson Arden-Sodje), Brian's friend from back home, unexpectedly visits him in Bristol and meets Rebecca (Eubha Akilade) and the eccentric, but utterly brilliant and outlandish Patrick (Will Jennings), captain of the Bristol's University Challenge team, Bregman shifts his tone in which we've followed as he navigates his way around university, and brings a sense of heightened realism that is fascinating to watch as his world starts to unwind before his eyes. Miracle Chance as Quiz teammate Lucy will have you petrified in one moment, then making you hysterical with laughter in a flash. Gemma Knight Jones as Professor Bowman provides a towering presence and stern step in Jackson's education, whilst Natasha O'Brien and Luke Johnson complete the cast with some sheer volume in dance quality. 

Hatty Carman and Tom Rasmussen creatively put all these feelings of anxiety, anticipation, love and hurt, into the Music & Lyrics with effortless discoveries for the troupe of performers on stage; you can see Will Jennings giving a career defining performance as Patrick, and really savouring every mannerism within him to be rightfully applauded after every number he's featured in. Robert Portal exudes charm as he brings Bamber Gascoigne, host of University Challenge between 1962 and 1987, to life and breaks the fourth wall multiple times to come down to the audience for some of our very own 'Starter for Ten' questions, that adds a dash of fun for us all. 

Rory Beaton triumphants with a precise focus on bringing all this to the forefront and making so many moments pop with the lighting, that it becomes interwoven with such beauty when seeing how Frankie Bradshaw has envisioned these characters looks & personalities through costume and set design, which results in pops of sheer detail that does not go amiss from us as an audience.

For Bristol to open this world premiere of Starter for Ten in the heart of the city where the story is set, locals to the area should be proud of its significance, and how a high calibre of creatives backstage and cast onstage have to brought to life these characters which once written down on the page to be read have been picked at, moulded, and transformed for the stage, for audiences to adore.

At Bristol Old Vic until 30 March. 
★★★★