[Ad-gifted] Last night, I had the opportunity to head to the opening night of PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL at The Regent Theatre in Hanley and what a night it was!
Directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, the production is based on the 90s Hollywood movie made famous by Julia Roberts and Richard Gere of the same name. A huge fan of Julia Roberts and the original movie, I was not sure if the stage adaptation would embody the essence of the movie and live up to the big named cast but boy, was I surprised!
We were transported to LA’s Hollywood Boulevard and immediately introduced to Vivian Ward (played by Rebekah Bryant who was standing in for Amber Davies), a sex worker, working the streets of LA who meets high-flying businessman, Edward (played by Oliver Savile) a rich businessman, who gets lost and needs direction back to his hotel.
He is intrigued by her and offers her $3000 to spend a week with him at his beck and call. What will happen next? Will he fall head over heels in love with her or will everything get back to how it was at the end of the week?
What did I think about PRETTY WOMAN : THE MUSICAL?
We walked in to a full house theatre, and I could tell that every single person was buzzing with excitement. My expectations were high for the night and I secretly wondered in the cast would deliver a performance to remember.
The production follows a similar storyline to the film with some slight changes to make it more relevant to live audience. The story keeps true to its Cinderella fairy-tale like story of the “prince on a horse rescuing a damsel in distress”. Rebekah who plays Vivian was sweet, talented and she sang her heart out.
Oliver Savile played dashing Edward to the tee and I could see his resemblance to Richard Gere and his singing voice was perfect. The chemistry between both Rebekah and Oliver was hugely evident and felt by the audience.
The production featured original music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance. Although unmemorable, the songs were beautifully performed by the cast.
The Lighting Design by Kenneth Posner and Philip S. Rosenberg and the use of spotlights made the production standout and allowed the audience to trail their eyes between the casts and made the change of scene effortless. David Rockwell did an amazing job with the scenic design as he was able to transport us between Rodeo Drive and Beverly Wilshire Hotel.
The highlight of the night was Giulio (played by Noah Harrison), the hotel bellboy at Beverly Wilshire Hotel who had us all in stiches with his funny antics as well as Ore Oduba (winner of 2016 Strictly Come Dancing) who played the Hotel Manger (as well as and various other parts in the show). Their dance scene together was superbly entertaining. Others in the play also included Natalie Paris who played Vivian’s lovable best friend, Kit as well as Ben Darcy who played Philip Stuckey and Chomba Taulo who played David Morse.
The cast have Tom Rogers‘ to thank for as he was able to recreate some of the iconic costume designs from the movie on stage.
The show ended to Roy Orbison and Bill Dee’s ‘Oh, Pretty Woman’ sung beautifully by Natalie Paris. Such an entertaining, nostalgic and feel-good production to head to with your bestie or on a date night which reminds the audience to never stop dreaming. So catch this performance of PRETTY WOMAN : THE MUSICAL which runs until Saturday, 20 July at The Regent Theatre.
Cast
Rebekah Bryant (who was standing in for Amber Davies) Vivian Ward
Oliver Savile Edward Lewis
Ore Oduba Happy Man/ Mr Thompson
Natalie Paris Kit De Luca
Ben Darcy Philip Stuckey
Chomba Taulo David Morse
Becky Anderson Swing/Resident Chreographer
Rachael Kendall Brown Ensemble
Josh Damer-Jennings Alfredo
Andrew Davison Ensemble/Naked Cowboy
Lila Falce-Bass Violetta/Bag Lady
Noah Harrison Giulio/Bell Boy
Sydnie Hocknell Ensemble
Michael Kholwadia Ensemble
Georgia Kleopa Ensemble/Scarlett
Joshua Lear Swing/Dance Captain
Stuart Maciver Swing
Victoria Rachael McCabe Swing
Eleanor Morrison-Halliday Ensemble
LJ Neilson Ensemble/Resident Director
Annell Odartey Ensemble
Elliot David Parke Ensemble
Curtis Patrick Ensemble
Toby Shellard Ensemble
Creatives
Music & Lyrics Bryan Adams & Jim Vallance
Book Garry Marshall & J F Lawton
Director & Choreographer Jerry Mitchell
Global Music Supervisor Will Van Dyke
Scenic Design David Rockwell
Costume Design Tom Rogers
Original Broadway Costume Design Gregg Barnes
Lighting Design Kenneth Posner and Philip S. Rosenberg
Sound Design John Shivers
Hair Design Josh Marquette
Makeup Design Fiona Mifsud
Casting Director Jim Arnold CDG
Casting Assistant Grace McInermy
Associate Director DB Bonds
Associate Choreographer Rusty Mowery
UK Associate Director Dominic Shaw
How much are the tickets?
Tickets are priced from £13 to £95. For Groups (10 or more), call their dedicated Groups team on 020 7206 1174 or email groupsales@atgtickets.com. A transaction charge applies to online/phone bookings.
How do I book tickets to watch PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL?
Tickets are now on sale and available from the Box Office, by calling 0844 871 7615 or by visiting ATG’s website here. Age guidance: 12+ Contains some moderate sexual references
How long is the show for and what are the timings?
The show will be running until Saturday, 20 July 2024. Evening shows will be performed at 7.30pm while the matinee will be on Wednesday and Saturday at 2.30pm.
Where is The Regent Theatre in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent?
Piccadilly
Stoke-on-Trent
ST1 1AP
Tel: 08448717649
About Regent Theatre
The Regent Theatre is a theatre in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Constructed in 1929 as a cinema, it is one of several theatres in the city centre and one of two owned by the Ambassador Theatre Group. The building was converted for full-time use as a theatre in 1999, and since then has hosted a number of shows and musicals. The theatre is also the northern base for the Glyndebourne Touring Opera.
Tips / Information
- Masks and Covid passes are not mandatory in the Theatre at the moment
- Ample public car park spaces are available near to the Regent Theatre. The nearby John Street car park is the closest and it closes at 11.30pm while the Pottery Centre carpark charges a fixed rate of £1.50 (after 6pm) and this carpark closes at 11pm
- Accessibility: On arrival at the theatre there are nine steps leading from the front doors to the foyer. There is a small lift suitable for wheelchairs and buggies
- There is lift access to all levels from the foyer (with an audible announcer)
- There is an infra-red sound enhancement system in the auditorium
- Guide, hearing and other working dogs are welcome in all parts of the theatre, and water is provided for them on request
- Accessible toilets are available
You may also want to read this:
Review: SISTER ACT at The Regent Theatre in Hanley
Review : Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage at The Regent Theatre
Review: Calendar Girls The Musical at The Regent Theatre
Photo Credit: Regent Theatre/Marc Brenner
30 comments
I adore the movie. And would really like to see this musical production. Wish they had it on TV!
Amazing costumes and decorations.
Absolutely fantastic costumes, with accordance to the 90s style and the stage set-up was fabulous
It is so good to hear that your expectations were met – it sounds like a fantastic night.
It certainly was, loved the staging and talents
I love the film Pretty Woman and do love a good musical, I really want to see this play. It is great that it has been adapted to the stage. I hope it comes my way soon
I am sure it will as they are touring around the UK at the moment
This is an interesting one to watch. I have seen Pretty Woman in movies and I guess they have pretty much the same storyline. Looking forward to seeing it as well.
Yes the same story line but lightly adapted to fit into the theatre setting
This sounds like an interesting one! I love the idea of overlaying music to a romantic dramedy like this. I’d love to see it.
Hope you do get the chance to see the live show Beth
A big yes and yes to Pretty Woman! I love the movie so much and have seen it 100 times or more. The production looks like good fun and is something I know I would enjoy!
OMG then you totally love this theatre production
I bet that would be amazing to watch, Pretty Woman is a classic story, a must-see in my opinion. Thank you so much for the review, it is awesome.
It certainly was and like you said, such a classic story brought to life again on the stage
Can you believe I’ve never seen the movie of pretty women?! I think I need to change that as I’ve heard such good things about the show x
It is never too late to watch it as it is such an iconic movie
I think Pretty Woman would be so much fun live! What a great film…this looks like a lot of fun!
Yes it was indeed especially with such talented cast
I would love to see the musical of Pretty Woman! I’ve seen the movie a few times because I love it and seeing them in a musical would be a dream!
As a fan of the movie, I bet you would also enjoy the theatre as the casting and costumes were excellent
The Pretty women musical is really good we went to see it for our anniversary so I highly recommend to anyone. so much fun and very entertaining xx
How amazing! Hope you also had a fantastic time as we did
I haven’t seen the pretty woman movie and thinking to give it a try after reading this post. Thanks for introducing this to me!
You need to definitely look it up as it is such an iconic movie and one which is timeless
Oh wow, I didn’t know they had a musical of this. It sounds like so much fun. I really did love the movie. I’m pleased to hear you enjoyed the show when you went. I’m hoping to get to go see it too asap.
The production is touring so worth checking out to see where they are headed to next
Love that you had a wonderful experience, it sounds like it was pretty entertaining and well worth it! Thanks for the review and pictures, it’s time for a movie rewatch!
You are welcome and yes worth heading to the theatre for this show
Sounds like an amazing night! I’m thrilled to hear the stage adaptation of Pretty Woman lived up to the original. Rebekah Bryant and Oliver Savile must have been fantastic in their roles!
I had an entertaining night and enjoyed myself very much and yes both of them are excellent actors