As one of the millions of teenagers left devastated when the boys spilt up, (I screamed with excitement when the men returned) and who’d sat in torrential rain for hours to sing along to Back For Good, its fair to say I was excited to see the Never Forget musical. 

And, as a massive musical fan, I had high expectations while waiting for the curtain to open on ‘Never Forget’ a show that has received rave reviews and has been touring the UK since its opening in 2007. 

I’m happy to report it didn’t disappoint! 

Writers, Guy Brocklehurst, Guy Jones and Ed Curtis have done a fantastic job writing a classic, if predictable, love story entwined with the tale of a tribute bands search for fame. The story captures the audience’s attention and keeps it, naturally integrating the real reason most of the people are there: the classic 90’s Take That songs. 

The lead roles, young lovers Ash and Chloe, are played by Mark Willshire and Aimie Atkinson. Both are incredibly talented with amazing vocals –  not a single wrong note was sung. Quite an achievement for their opening night at the Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton. 

The supporting cast included fantastic comic timing from the Take That tribute band, particularly Adam Booth (Jake) and Brookside’s Philip Olivier (Dirty Harry). Kay Murphy was fantastic in her role as talent scout Annie, an untraditional evil villain. The backing dancers performed Karen Bruce’s varied choreography in perfect sync. 

One of my personal highlights was undoubtedly the rain curtain that closed the first act  – complete with the words NEVER FORGET spelt out in rain drops. I’m sure the rest of the audience were as keen as I was to return to my seat for the second half. 

I cannot praise the cast and show more than saying that the closing scene and following encore (a heavenly mix of the best of TT) had every single member of the audience (including the dozen husbands and boyfriends that had been dragged along for the evening) on their feet clapping, dancing and singing along. 

Star Rating
A five star rating from me, and my elder sister who raved about it the entire way home! Never Forget is an impressive and enjoyable show, perfect for any Take That or musical fan. I would most definitely recommend a visit. 

Reviewer Jessica Richardson
Reviewed at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre
Tuesday November 24th 2009