Two nights ago, I had the pleasure of being invited down to the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith for
the Gala Night of Only Fools and Horses. I had never watched any of Only Fools and Horses
before all I knew was that my mum and dad thoroughly enjoyed the TV show and also had loved
the tour when it stopped by in my hometown Stoke-on-Trent.

As you can imagine me and my 50-year-old parents have very different tastes in theatre and TV so
I was a little apprehensive as to whether I would enjoy or relate to this musical. But wow, what a
phenomenal show!

The the soundtrack was great and the vocals from the whole cast were really strong. The
ensemble had such a vibrant energy that added life to the scenes especially at the pub there was
so many intricate exciting characters been formed that made you feel link you were sat in the The
Nag’s Head.

Futhermore, watching Sam Lupton as Dell boy was truly a masterclass in acting and comedic
timing. He was effortless on stage and it was clear how much fun he was having his joy and
energy oozed straight out of him and into the audience and I couldn’t help but smile whenever he
was on stage.

Additionally, I was really impressed with Nicola Munns it wasn’t until the second act that I realised
she was playing both Marlene and Cassandra! Her characterisation was so beautifully crafted and
she really transformed into these roles.

Obviously, the man himself Vinny Jones ignited wave of energy into the audience every time he
came on the stage, there was clearly a lot of people here to see him and he didn’t disappoint. He
was truly the perfect casting for a gangster like Danny Driscoll and it was amazing to see him throw
himself into it especially with his chemistry and relationship with Darryl Paul which was hilarious
thought.

There was clearly a lot of super fans in the audience who have loved the show for years and that
was really special to see. When I was leaving the theatre I was surrounded by families and I think
the musical did an amazing job of paying homage to the series without making the performance
hard to understand or properly enjoy If you hadn’t been a fan before which I think it’s really difficult
to do but they smashed it..

Finally, I just wanted to shout out Gloria Acquaah-Harrison and Richard J Hunt. I thought both of
these performers were absolutely outstanding in their roles in the ensemble.
Richard brought so much joy and love into every character that he played and it was truly hard not
to watch him and smile. Additionally Gloria sounded absolutely incredible her exceptional singing
was a huge shock as we hadn’t heard her sing until so late in the show when she performed
Holding Back the Years. As soon as she started to sing you could hear a pin drop in the audience
and with a crowd that way clearly enjoying the opportunity to make noise and laugh, it was so
powerful to see how she controlled the audience with her voice truly a God-given talent.

Although I’ve mentioned how funny a lot of the performers were and how overall it was a hilarious
show, I was really pleasantly feel touched by the show. I think that behind the story there’s such a
heartwarming sense of family and care and vulnerability that can be forgotten in such a comedic
text but I think the directing choices by Caroline Jay Ranger really allowed these heartwarming
moments to hold weight and not be brushed over.

At times watching the family felt like I was truly watching my own family at home and it made me
wanna just reach out for my grandparents and give them a big hug. When a musical can make you
laugh as much as this show did but still leave you feeding touched emotionally it is clearly a really
special show and it’s a credit to the whole creative team and cast.

Overall I had an amazing time, A huge thank you to everybody on Only Fools and Horses and the
team at the Hammersmith Eventim Apollo, it really was a special night and I can’t recommend the
show enough to anybody who is thinking of seeing it!