REVIEWS - SPEND SPEND SPEND 2010

City Life - Wed, 13 October, 2010
Spend Spend Spend! The Lowry
Rating 4 out of 5
By Natalie Anglesey

Viv Nicholson's football pool's win made headline news in 1961 and her rags to riches to rags story which became a book, a film and eventually a musical seemed simply a morality tale of the times.

But when you consider that the coal-miner's wife only won £152,319 - the equivalent of £3 million now - it appears small fry compared to the huge lottery wins of today.

However the message has not been dissipated in Craig Revel Horwood's successful new production is that he's succeeded in capturing the austerity of a Yorkshire coal-mining, hard-drinking community in the early sixties, as well as the euphoria of the big win which changed lives.

The Strictly Come Dancing judge, who directs as well as choreographs this show has rejoined forces with Sarah Travis, winner of an American Tony Award for Best Orchestration for Sweeney Todd in New York . She's responsible for the musical arrangements.

They've repeated their award-winning format of casting 12 excellent actors who are also first-rate musicians. This means that the fast- paced action glides seamlessly into the musical numbers.

Created by Steve Brown and Justin Greene, based on the book by Viv Nicholson and Stephen Smith, the musical numbers may be toe-tappingly pleasant but there are no big memorable numbers apart from the title song , which is performed by the cast, including the men, dressed as bunny girls!

However there's the splendid ballad, Who's Gonna Love Me, sung by both old and young Viv played superbly by Karen Mann and Kirsty Hoiles. Greg Barnett is also good as Viv's ill-fated husband Keith, the true winner of the pools, while Spike Milligan's daughter Jane Milligan plays Viv's mother.

This vigorous albeit sometimes rude and crude Watermill production is a thoroughly entertaining team effort which enjoyed a standing ovation.

The same award-winning team has already delighted audiences at the Quays Theatre with a vibrant production of the Hot Mikado. You'll certainly get your money's worth in this morality tale which remains pertinent today.