Jenna Rink is an adorably awkward 13 year-old girl who wishes she could skip over the misery of High School. When her birthday wish comes true, Jenna magically wakes up as an adult to find herself “thirty, flirty and thriving” as the editor of a fashion magazine with a seemingly perfect life. But as she gradually unravels the mystery of what kind of person she has become, she goes on a journey to work out what – and who – really matters.
As always, the question is: did this need to be adapted? While Fickman and co have done a decent job of transforming the film into a musical that stands alone, it’s hard not to wish this talent could be turned to new stories. But maybe that’s just thirtysomething me talking, while my inner 13-year-old bops to the music.
Does everything really have to be a musical? This adaptation of 13 Going on 30, the beloved 2004 romantic comedy starring Jennifer Garner, joins the hordes of all-singing, all-dancing screen-to-stage conversions clogging up theatre listings. And yes, if you’re a mega fan of the film, written by Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa, you’ll probably have a perfectly nice time in the audience for this musical, for which they have written the book. However, if you’re in the market for something that deepens or reinvents its source material, prepare to leave cold.
| 2025 | West End |
West End |
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