The Band features Take That music. I was not interested in buying tickets for it; because as a teenager Take That was my sister’s band; therefore on principle I could not like them.
The show is a nostalgic look back on the 90s. Before the show there is a screen showing teletext news stories from apparently 1993. For those, who do not know teletext; it was a predecessor for the internet that you accessed on the tv. It could be quite slow and clunky to operate and as the images below show it now looks quite dated.
The band are not refereed to as Take That in the show and could be any 90s boy or girl band like Boyzone or The Spice Girls. Anyone who was a teenager in the 90s especially if they were lucky enough to go to their first gig in the 90s will relate. The story looks at the perspective of 40 year old women looking back to going to the band gig. The story after the first gig contains twists and turns, surprises, disappointment, heartbreak; the full scope of the human journey.
The plot is central and the women not the band are the centre; it is a well developed plot that would hold up without the music therefore; even non Take That fans will enjoy. I like that the girls and subsequently the women were never skinny and pretty; the characters feel real. 30 and 40 somethings (especially women) will appreciate the 90s references like Top of the Pops and also the contrast to how differently life turns out than what you expect. Those younger than 30 may have seen the talent show on BBC 3 that found the actors that play the Band in the show.
My first gig was not a boy band; it was Oasis 20years ago; when I was 14.
Wonderwall: Be Here Now: 20 years ago…
However for my 18th; I went to and saw Robbie Williams who by that time had gone solo. Spoiler alert this show involved glittery ticker tape falling on to the stage. I think I may still have ticker tape from when I saw Robbie Williams. Unfortunately unlike, when I have seen other shows at Lyceum unless you were very near the front: ticker tape did not fall on the audience. But at times, there was the feel good feeling of gig and at the end practically the whole theatre was on their feet including myself. I was impressed and would have paid for the show. The show tours after Sheffield but is mostly sold out; with only a few if any tickets remaining.
Wonderwall 