Date of Visit – January 2025
This was my fourth time seeing this production and my third in the West End. I absolutely love this show, but there were elements today that felt flat in certain places, and here’s why…
BEFORE THE SHOW:
As per the last review, I thought, why not show you what I got up to before taking my seat over at the Adelphi Theatre. I thought today was the perfect opportunity to give you a hotel recommendation as well.
During this trip to Back to the Future, I stayed at the Zedwell Undegroumd Tottenham Court Road. This is a sleep pod style hotel room, meaning it focuses solely on sleep. You won’t find your typical hotel amenities here, such as a TV, tea and coffee facilitates, or even a window. However in reception there is a help-yourself counter for hot drinks which is always a bonus and not a common feature in their other London hotels.
You might think this hotel sounds more like a war bunker or prison cell than it does a hotel room, but I will say that I always have the best night sleep possible in these types of hotel rooms. The combination of a pitch black room with cool air conditioning makes for the deepest sleep possible.
These hotels aren’t overally expensive as well if you look around on different sites. This stay set me back £81 through Booking.com, which isn’t bad for a nights stay in central London. These hotels are definitely my go-to when travelling into the city.
After checking in to the hotel, I decided to head over to one of my favourite London restaurants; Kulu Kulu Sushi.
This hidden gem is located in Soho and serves a variety of Japanese dishes such as miso soup, teriyaki dishes, and of course lots and lots of different types of freshly made sushi via conveyor belt. You simply take a seat and pick up what dishes you’d like or order off the menu. Different plates are worth different prices so you can really make this as cheap or as expensive as you’d like. It’s a great option before seeing a show, and if you’re dining solo like me.
SYNOPSIS:
‘BACK TO THE FUTURE THE MUSICAL’ has been playing at the Adelphi Theatre since 2021 after making its debut in Manchester back in 2020.
The production is based on the first film from the Back to the Future trilogy, which was originally released in the 1980s and directed by Steven Spileburg and Robert Zemmericks.
We follow the story of seventeen year old Marty McFly, who accidently travels back thirty years to 1955 in a time machine built by his friend and mad inventor, Dr Emmett Brown. During his time in 1955, Marty bumps into his parents and disrupts their first meeting. He has to try and resolve this whilst also trying to find a way back home to 1985.
This production uses a combination of physical set pieces, digital screen technology, and strobe lighting effects.
THEATRE EXPERIENCE:
I arrived at the Adelphi Theatre around fifty minutes before the start of the performance and was greeted with no line. So, after a quick check of my tickets, I was straight in and headed up to the Upper Circle.
There are two bars located within this theatre as well as multiple merchandise locations selling a variety of programmes, t-shirts, mugs, and cuddly toys. I grabbed a Kopperberg Cider and a programme at the bar located in the Upper Circle, which set me back around £19.90. I do believe this is a little expensive. Be aware that there is limited seating, but there is a sofa area located near the merchandise stand as opposed to the bar area itself.
I grabbed my drink and read through the programme. As I was doing so, an usher came and asked me if I were on my own and if I wanted a free upgrade to the stalls. I declined moving to the stalls, but upon doing so, she informed me she also had free upgrades to the Dress Circle. I said yes straight away. That was an opportunity that was too good to miss out on.
I was over the moon as my original seat in the Upper Circle with a restricted view of the stage. Set me back £20. So, to get a free upgrade to a seat worth around £170 at most performances in the Dress Circle was amazing.
However, this does make me a little worried about the future of this production. Not being able to sell a large proportion of evening tickets is not a good sign, and it seemed like most of the people around me in the Dress Circle were also there due to being upgraded on their tickets. So we will have to wait and see how much longer ‘BACK TO THE FUTURE’ lasts in the West End.
This theatre is decorated beautifully throughout, with Back to the future cartoons, pictures of delorians, and movie posters on the walls throughout the building. I also love the big photo opportunity clock located in the main bar area. Detail had gone into every area of this theatre.
Staff weren’t very friendly, however, and seemed to not particularly want to be there. Which is a shame, considering the show is meant to be fun and upbeat.
SHOW REVIEW:
This is definitely a very upbeat and feel-good show. You’ll find all the classic music from the original film, including the iconic soundtrack, Johnny be Good and Earth Angel, as well as new songs which have been created for this production.
‘BACK TO THE FUTURE THE MUSICAL‘ has some of the best effects on the West End. The combination of lighting, sound, and projection mapping makes you feel as though this car is actually travelling 88mph it’s absolutely amazing. Be aware, though this performance does use a lot of strobe lighting effects, which may be unsuitable for some people. I found myself squinting at certain moments due to the harsh lighting effects in certain parts of the performance.
There is a stand-out piece of practical effects within this production, which I’ll keep a secret as I don’t want to give you any spoilers but it’s something to behold and is the most impressive piece of practical effects I’ve ever seen on stage. Every time I see it, im absolutely blown away.
Now, to the acting, during this performance, I witnessed an understudy with Lee Ormsby taking on the role of Doc Brown. As well as this, I saw Vasco Emuaz taking on the role of Marty McFly in one of his final West End performances, with Caden Brauch taking over the role from the 10th February, having previously played the role on the North American national tour.
Lee Ormsby was good in his portrayal of Doc Brown, with impeccable singing. However, his comedic timing wasn’t as good as previous performers I’ve seen in this role, such as Cory English and the original performer of this role; Roger Bart.
Again, Vasco Emauz had amazing singing abilities and probably the best out of the Marty McFlys I’ve seen on the West End, but there were elements of the performance such as his comedic delivery that felt flat in a few places.
CONCLUSION & SUMMARY:
To conclude, although I absolutely love this production, today felt a little flat compared to previous performances I’ve seen. However, don’t let me put you off taking a visit to the Adelphi.
I’m very excited to see Caden Brauch take on the role of Marty Mcfly later in the month and will have a review coming your way very shortly.
With tickets, sometimes going from as cheap as £18 I’d deffo recommend seeing this production, especially if you are a fan of the original 80s trilogy.
My overall rating of today’s production of ‘BACK TO THE FUTURE’ is ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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