FROM boy band to man band, Take That have grown up since they first burst on to the music scene in the 90s wearing skimpy tight t-shirts and thrusting their crotches in the faces of screaming teenage girls.
As I took my seat for Never Forget at The Orchard theatre in Dartford, I realised it wasn’t just the band who had aged.
The fans who probably built mini-shrines in their bedrooms to Gary Barlow and the boys more than 10 years ago were now packed into the auditorium eagerly waiting to relive the excitement of their hormonal youth.
With a row of tipsy, perma-tanned blonde women cackling behind me from beginning to end the atmosphere felt more like a hen night than an evening at the theatre.
Never Forget follows the current trend of musicals which take the songs of a popular band and try to build a story around them.
Mamma Mia! made Abba cool again, so why not try the same with Take That?
The result is a show which tries to shoe horn as many of the band’s classic hits as possible into a story which has as much depth as a stack of Robbie Williams’s hit solo records.
But when you’re having this much fun, who cares about a story?
Focussing on the themes of friendship, ambition, love and betrayal among the members of a Take That tribute band, the musical is a light-hearted sojourn through the group’s impressive 90s back catalogue.
Formed by struggling Ash (Mark Willshire), who needs the £10,000 prize from the battle of the tribute bands competition to save his mum's pub, he recruits his best friend Jake (Adam C Booth), male stripper Dirty Harry (Philip Olivier), nerdy banker Adrian (Tom Bradley) and Spaniard Jose (Scott Garnham) to play Gary, Robbie, Howard, Mark and Jason.
The boys playing the fake Take That seem to be having as much fun as the audience, bouncing off each other’s ludicrously silly dialogue and oozing both good humour and pizzazz.
With everyone’s tongues firmly in their cheeks, the cast hurtle effortlessly through spectacular dance routines, belting out favourites such as Babe and Relight My Fire with infectious enthusiasm, while flashing enough flesh to make even Jordan blush.
Soap opera hunk and gay pin-up Olivier plays the main eye candy, whipping off his shirt and trousers at the drop of a hat.
Although his singing voice is decidedly shaky, he plays the sexually confused dim-wit with charm and is instantly loveable. Or depending on how fat or thin you are, instantly hateable.
The set is simple but effective and a 24 foot curtain of rain which spells out the words “never forget” during Back For Good is breathtaking.
Best enjoyed after a pre-show glass of Chardonnay, Never Forget is a nostalgic tribute to one of the few boy bands in the business which have stood the test of time.
Much effort has been made to lovingly adapt the memorable songs for the stage and if, like 90 per cent of the audience, you spent most of your teenage years scribbling “I love TT 4eva” on school bog walls, you’ll lap up every minute of this trashy but tremendously enjoyable show.
Never Forget. The Orchard, Home Gardens, Dartford. Until Saturday. 01322 220000 or visit orchardtheatre.co.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here