Pretty Woman Review by Nina Jervis

August 7, 2024

It feels churlish to dissect or criticise Pretty Woman for not being fresh or original enough, when the lack of originality is why it’s so popular. When money is tight and times are uncertain, there’s nothing quite like escaping into the arms of a show you already know you’re going to enjoy.

You might also go because you know the nostalgia-steeped audience atmosphere will be warm and fun. The lady sitting in front of me was dressed for a big night out, in sequins and a feather boa, while a man behind guffawed heartily at every reference to the iconic 1990 film.

There were a lot of these references, because the script has pretty much been lifted verbatim from the film. The plot, just on the off-chance you don’t know it, centres on Vivian, an out-of-place Hollywood Boulevard streetwalker. She gets picked up by Edward, a ruthless businessman, originally because he can’t find his fancy Beverly Wilshire hotel.

After spending the night together, Edward then pays Vivian to stay with him for a week at the hotel, so she can accompany him to a series of important business events with no strings attached.

All the classic moments are there: Vivian’s ride-or-die friendship with fellow streetwalker Kit de Luca, buying swish new outfits on Rodeo Drive (and getting her revenge on the snooty shop assistants in probably the best-known quote from the film), embarrassing herself in front of Edward’s business associates Eliza Doolittle- style, and going to the opera.

These moments are peppered with original songs by Jim Vallance and Bryan Adams – he of ‘Everything I Do, I Do It For You’ fame. “Did this really need to be a musical?” whispered my friend Matt from the next seat. Many songs felt shoehorned into the story, doing nothing more than signpost key parts of the plot that we already knew by heart.

In some cases the songs also killed any sense of conflict. For example, at the start Edward is supposed to view his encounter with Vivian as a mere business transaction. But when he sings ‘Something About Her’ almost immediately, we know there is more to it right from the off. (We do, of course, because we’ve already seen the film – but we aren’t supposed to!)

The cast, including Amber Davies as Vivian and Ben Darcy as Edward, were competent and charming, but unfortunately lacked the magical chemistry that held the film together. The best performances came from Natalie Paris as the wise- cracking Kit, and Ore Oduba in a series of smile-inducing roles (including Happy Man, Barney the hotel manager, and a Rodeo Drive store assistant).

A former Strictly Come Dancing winner, the show’s highlight came when Ore’s Barney teaches Vivian to dance, in a vibrant and uplifting number that also included Giulio the bellhop (Noah Harrison), who inspired many a gentle laugh throughout.

That number gave us a glimmer of what this show could have been, had a little more creativity been injected into it. But if you’re just looking for a fun night out and warm hit of nostalgia, that might not bother you in the least.