Review: FRIENDS! THE MUSICAL PARODY, King's Theatre

Friends! The Musical Parody is a musical compilation of the beloved tv series with brand new songs. Cramming ten seasons into under two hours (including some bizarre faffing with a warm-up act) this show covers some of the highlights from the series. 

Ross Gellar (Enzo Benvenuti)’s wife has just left him for another woman and he’s feeling sorry for himself in his local coffee shop when Rachel Green (Eva Hope) bursts in. Rachel is his sister Monica (Alicia Belgarde)’s high school Best Friend and was the object of Ross’ affections for many years as a teenager.

So spoiled rich girl Rachel moves in with Monica, has to get a real-world job and integrate into the friend group. Across the hall are Joey (Ronnie Burden) and Chandler (Daniel Parkinson), and there’s also guitar-toting hippie Phoebe (Amelia Atherton), who sings in the coffee shop.

If you aren’t familiar with the series, you don’t stand much of a chance of realising what is going on. The humour comes from the repetition of iconic lines from the show, which don’t always make sense out of context. The actors have been well-chosen for their resemblance to the original TV cast, and they have effectively captured their characters' mannerisms. Some of the quotes are slightly overdone to the point where they lose their impact.

The positive points are that the sets and props are cool and if you’re a fan there’s a ton of sneaky little references hidden within the show. The songs are funny such as “495 Grove Street” which asks the question of how Monica could afford such a nice apartment on her salary and “Omg It’s Janice” which pokes fun at Chandler’s nasal ex-girlfriend.

It’s not always clear whether this is a love letter to the show or a bit of a piss take. There are some cheap jibes at the actor's own personal lives and it sometimes crosses the line from playful to just plain mean. 

It’s not a bad night out if you just let it wash over you as fluffy entertainment. Despite its many flaws, its a nostalgic romp through an iconic TV series with decent performances and a few laughs along the way. 

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