The Band

Brassneck treated us to a full-blown pop concert this evening at Yeadon Town Hall with five performers who could so easily have been a real boy band. Josh Brocklebank, Connor Elliott, Jamie Wilkinson, Alex Wright and Paul Metcalfe truly embodied the look and the style of a 90s pop band. Singing accurate harmonies and busting moves far more complicated than those ever done by their real-life counterparts, they took us into the world of The Band, a new musical created by friends and creative partners Tim Firth and Gary Barlow. Riding high on the success of their musical The Girls (later to be renamed Calendar Girls the Musical), the duo wrote this crowd-pleasing creation as their next big project. Instead of original music, The Band utilizes all of Take That’s most famous hits, but with a storyline of long-standing female friendship that hints back to The Girls.

Through a journey of laughter and tears we meet five school friends who vow to always stay close. Then a freak accident changes their world and the remaining four girls go their separate ways. Sophia Rose, Charlotte Carr, Gabby Salvin, Maddie Lee and Amy Pearl Watt presented us with five charmingly individual characters bonded into an unlikely friendship group. They told their story convincingly and the affection between them seemed real. Debbie (Amy Pearl Watt) was very impressive in Relight my Fire, so it was good in Act Two to see each individual girl have the opportunity to display her singing talents. These were all very mature performances from such young actors.

As poor old Debbie slides into oblivion, step up the adult versions of Rachel, Heather, Claire and Zoe. After thirty years apart, can their friendship be resurrected? Well, a prize-winning trip to Prague and some pretty teenage antics prove that, yes, these girls still have a strong affection for each other and the ability to console and counsel each other. Experienced performers Rachel Sowerby, Laura Judge, Jill Whitehouse and Caroline Bayfield presented us with very relatable characters who brought the story to a pleasing conclusion. They were supported by Richard Lloyd who was as versatile as ever in his portrayal of the everyman character ‘Every Dave’. Anthony Gilmartin was endearing and devoted as maximum Geoff.

There were many highlights in this show but I especially liked The Band’s concert, in their silver coats with impressive lighting effects to match. No wonder all the teenagers and their Mums loved them. I also admired the way these boys slipped from being superstars into airport workers or just plain scene shifters with a well-practiced and choreographed ease. Want You Back was an emotionally affecting moment when we looked across time at the life of the women. And the ending, up on that very scary precipice was also moving as solid reliable Geoff finally gets the chance to make Rachel his wife.

A special mention for the additional dancers Cat, Katie, Chloe, Emma and Beth who brought their dancing skills to the stage in some of the big numbers, slipping seamlessly in and out of the action. The set, designed by Tom Hughes was deceptively simple but fulfilled every demand, allowing some clever moves, like the appearances through the lockers and the coloured doors identifying the girls. The bus stop doubled as a downstage exit and the levels worked really well on this stage and added variety.

Many congratulations to the actual band, led by Danny Gamble, for sympathetic accompaniment throughout and to Royston Bayfield and Sarah Joice for brilliant direction and choreography. Good to see the production managers named in the programme as this must have needed skilled coordination. Congratulations to Ann Garnett and Christine Clarke. And talking of the programme, this was an impressive piece of work in the style of a Fanzine. Well done to the designers.

The Take That fans in front of me on the balcony had a whale of a time, but this was a show that appealed beyond fans of the original band. Its depiction of the importance of friendship resonated with us all. A reprise of favourite songs at the end brought the audience to its feet and everyone left the theatre singing and smiling. Thank you for inviting me. I look forward to Dear Evan Hansen in 2027.

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