The writers (Bob and Tobly McSmith) clearly love musicals, parody, and most of all Friends. It’s as if they take all 10 seasons (236 episodes plus specials), put them in a blender, and feed the resulting ‘Friends‑smoothie’ to the audience via a fire hydrant. This works to their credit, as it is nearly impossible to think of a Friends quote or reference that is missing from the show. Friends: The Musical Parody leans into everything from the series itself, from the absurdity of the obscenely large apartment to the questionable amount of money the characters supposedly spend in Central Perk.
The show is a lot of fun and incredibly nostalgic, though it sometimes loses its pace with a gag that lasts a touch too long. It finds its feet much more coherently towards the end of the first act and beyond. It feels unfair to share too much without spoiling it, but it must be mentioned that most of the cameo roles are played incredibly well by one actor, Edward Leigh. He flicks between Gunther, Tom Selleck, Paolo and a few others best kept as a surprise. There are also multiple sequences with Janice; in particular, the ‘OMG It’s Janice’ number in Act 2 feels somewhat like a fever dream. The precision and accuracy of the dancing and movement by the entire cast is mesmerising, and at the centre is Janice (played by Daniel Parkinson), who is horrifying like a car crash — you want to look away, but you can’t. This is very much meant as a compliment. The execution of this number is a highlight of the show, delivered with military precision. The choreography and movement throughout is a great display of experience from choreographer Myles Brown.
The main question at hand is how accurate the six friends are to the TV show, and it is fair to say that each of them has moments where it feels as though the original cast are standing in front of you. The nuances, gestures, inflections and mannerisms in everything they do are impressive. As the show is a parody rather than a recreation, each cast member has room to shine: from Phoebe’s guitar solos and chaotic running style (played by Amelia Atherton), to Chandler’s “could I BE anymore…” (played by Daniel Parkinson), to Joey’s “How you doin’?” (played by Ronnie Burden), to Rachel’s “You’re a shoe!” (played by Eva Hope), to Ross’ “PIVOT!” (played by Enzo Benvenuti). Each actor finds moments to shine. However, the standout performance comes from Alicia Belgrade as Monica Geller. Her characterisation, line delivery and mannerisms make it genuinely believable that Courteney Cox is on stage — and able to sing to effortless heights. Her catchphrase “I KNOW!” is never overplayed. It is exciting to imagine what else she may take on in the near future. This is not to say the rest of the cast are not exhilarating; the energy on stage is immense, and transitions in and out of scenes are slick. It is quite a tour de force to maintain that level of energy throughout.
While the cast are fantastic, some of the directing choices could be toned down. Each of the iconic six has one or more motifs — Ross clearing his throat, Chandler squinting and flinging his arms in exasperation — and occasionally it feels as though the joke lands, but is then dragged out longer than necessary and repeated more than three times. Perhaps this simply gives the target audience what they want: their favourite characters doing the things they love to see. Friends fans certainly won’t be disappointed that their favourite bits appear; if anything, some of those bits appear a little too often.
Commendations go to the genius set design by Andrew Exeter, which makes the audience feel as though they are watching an episode of Friends being filmed live. The moving parts of the apartment are brilliantly used and blocked in ways that keep each reconfiguration feeling fresh. Costume design by Jennie Quirk is flawless, with outfits that look like exact replicas from the TV show. This, alongside impeccable wigs by Craig Forrest‑Thomas, builds the Friends universe convincingly in front of your eyes.
Overall, the show is a lot of fun and builds on a very well‑established piece of pop culture, poking fun at itself, its concept and the actors who inhabit it. If you’ve never seen Friends, you may feel as though you are watching a fever dream of 90s nostalgia, but superfans will not be disappointed.
It runs until 24 January. Tickets here.
Review: Anthea Arpad Photos: Pamela Raith