Only Fools & Horses Musical 11.02.2025
Invited| Review by Robyn Watson
What a lovely jubbly evening we had watching the amazing Only Fools and Horses musical last night. Based on the beloved UK staple show, this musical promises an evening with an ingenious script and hilarious songs. It was lovely to see all of the treasured characters of the show being honoured throughout the musical last night. The show boasted a whole host of truly iconic moments from the TV show and this was received so well by the busy audience. There were so many gags and giggles throughout the whole audience and it was lovely to hear.
Based in 1989 Peckham, Derek ‘Del Boy’ Trotter tries to navigate life as a general wheeler and dealer making ends meet whilst his younger brother Rodney is trying to set up house and home with his wife to be Cassandra. Through comedy, the tough times of the life of a market salesman are brought to life and they really are secretly, the most heart warming family.
With 20 original songs the musical score for this show is actually rather impressive and there are definitely some new favourites in there too! I loved the use of the well known songs ‘Lovely Day and Holding Back the Years’ at the pivotal moments in the show – appropriate and moving song choices.
The show opened with a tiny TV screen showcasing the musical title and allowing us to delve into the episode we were about to watch although I can’t imagine David Jason tap dancing and singing as Del Boy! The show opened with Only Fools and Horses and Hooky Street. A wise choice to place these numbers first as it got us straight in the mood for a fun filled evening. I was really impressed by the strong male chorus and it was such a delight to hear wonderful harmonies mixing together so seamlessly.
I was a really big fan of the set which had breeze block style flats at either side and a rotating centre stage which took us between the market, the Trotter’s home and The Nag’s Head. This could have been made to look cumbersome however, with clever use of the musical score and lighting I really didn’t mind the waiting time between scenes as they were moving the set. I think I much prefer this and an exciting scene change to a boring one note stage.
They used graphics and images well on the interactive screen and this added clear direction of where the scene was. It also had some hilarious comedy moment’s like in Nick’s Cafe – a slice of toast for 10p- what a bargain and during The Tadpole Song with the very interesting fireworks.
Del Boy was played by local lad, Sam Lupton, and if I am honest he totally stole the show for me. He had a real ruggish charm and his accent was utterly fantastic. He was truly a perfect casting for Del Boy. He had every movement, mannerism, facial expression and vocal fry nailed down. He commanded the stage effortlessly and gave the most incredible energy throughout the whole show, which he essentially is in every single scene. A part not for the weak! Not only was his acting superb but he truly is a triple threat. His singing was crystal clear whilst still being in the accent, I also did peep those stunning falsetto notes and he moved so fearlessly during his dance break during Mange Tout, dynamic and in perfect timing with the backing dancers – or Chas and Dave as he called them.
Rodney was played by the gorgeous Tom Major on his tour debut and he did a terrific job. Loveable, charming and moody all rolled into one. He did look very young on stage however, but I do feel like he gave great stage presence and had a lovely cockney accent. His on stage partner Cassandra was played by Nicola Munns who doubled up as Marlene too. A tricky thing to do as both characters have such different qualities. Both of them sang Marriage and Love well and they’re voices blended beautifully. This was such a sweet song and gave great nods to some real throwback musicals.
Another wonderful performance was played by Amanda Coutts who played Raquel. Her song The Girl was a highlight for me. I loved the melody and the change in tempo during the musical for this song- what a wonderful way to meet her character.
The adorable Philip Childs played the role of Grandad and delivered a stellar performance. His quirky and vulnerable moments during Not Now Grandad were terrific. The costuming was appropriate and honoured the TV show perfectly. I loved Del Boy’s outfits particularly with the Harrington jacket and iconic sheepskin coat.
Boycie was played eerily well by Craig Berry with his towering stature and guttural chuckle. His voice was spot on and he had a beautiful bass singing voice which he showcased during The Tadpole Song. My favourite song of the night however was performed by Lee VG who played Trigger. Gaze Into my Ball is a triumph of a musical theatre song- modern, hilarious and absolutely bonkers. This was performed so well and I particularly loved the rapping section by Andrew Bryant.
Two notable performances that I couldn’t finish the review without mentioning came from Gloria Acquaah Harrison who delivered stunning vocals throughout and Richard J Hunt who just played so many parts wonderfully. He really is a master of disguise and I couldn’t take my eyes off of him every time he was on stage.
Only Fools and Horses the musical is a real triumph. Packed with comedy, interesting songs and fantastic acting you’d be a total plonker to miss out. I love how it brought people into the world of musicals who wouldn’t usually go. This makes me happy when the world of theatre is opened to someone new.