Parent Agency

THE PARENT AGENCY

Storyhouse, Chester

Until 2nd March

GALA NIGHT: 19.02.2025
Curtain Up: 19:00
Curtain Down: 21:2

***BADDIEL’S - THE PARENT AGENCY IS GUNNA’ BE A BIG DEAL!***

***IMAGINE YOU COULD CHOOSE… NOT JUST YOUR PARENTS - BUT A BRAND NEW - FRESH & FUNNY FAMILY MUSICAL… LOOK NO FURTHER THAN THE PARENT AGENCY!***

***IN A WORLD FULL OF NEW MUSICALS - THE PARENT AGENCY IS A STAND OUT HIT***

***THE PARENT AGENCY OOZES TALENT IN A FRESH, MODERN MUSICAL THAT YOU & YOUR KIDS ARE GUNNA’ LOVE!***

***THIS MUSICAL THEATRE REVIEWER PICKS YOU - THE PARENT AGENCY!***

As a theatre reviewer sometimes you have to imagine - (particularly for a poster headline) - ‘A NEW FAMILY MUSICAL’ that you are a kid going to the theatre for the 1st time. Would this be an amazing experience and hook your children into the genre?….

With THE PARENT AGENCY we whole heartedly think that if this was their 1st time in a theatre they would be blown away by the amount of catchy tunes and fresh, modern visuals. The storytelling is fast paced and hooks you from the initial track ‘BARRY’.

David Baddiel penned THE PARENT AGENCY X10 years ago and was approached to turn it into a musical. He only agreed if the right people came onboard - & I think I’ve witnessed a bit of a bromance from David and the Musical Writer - DAN GILLESPIE SELLS over the past week! The music is bold, fresh and has SIX the musical vibes - with a fair dollop of Charlie & The Chocolate Factory too for good measure.

Young Barry who’s 10 years old - almost 11 craves for better parents. Do they exist? Where would he find them? With a whole leap of faith he heads to The Parent Agency for help. What will happen if he doesn’t find his ideal parents by the moment his 11th Birthday arrives? What indeed?! Could he live without his x2 annoying sisters? Do they really exist? & what of his grandpa? I don’t wanna give too much away - but what I can guarantee is a night out that parents and kids will love.

We were lucky to see a preview last Saturday with the lead played by ELI SOWDSN-MEHTA. He was an excellent ‘BARRY’ and has clocked up an impressive movie CV (Inc WONKA & WICKED) and this is his 1st stage debut. There’s been some tweaks since Sat and tonight’s Gala Press Night proved that all the hard work has paid off.

Tonight’s lead playing BARRY was MAX BISPHAM. He’s appeared in Mrs Doubtfire, Les Miz & in this show he is rarely off stage. This is a dream role for a young actor. He speaks / sings clearly and comes across natural and performing seems effortless to him.

His Mum Susan - REBECCA MCKINNIS along with Dad - Geoff - RAKESH BOURY both flex their comedy chops. Totally insane in parts. Totally fabulous in some scenes. Transforming into x5 sets of different parents means lots of acting styles to jump into. They are equally FAB-U-LOUS! When you go to see a lot of shows they sometimes blur into one giant jukebox…. But thankfully - this piece stands out massively from the rest. Rebecca had more than a hint of the late, great Victoria Wood influence her ‘FWHAMS’ mother - which was fun to see. ‘The Cools’ had everyone giggling. The ‘Wellorfs’ I can’t delete from my memory (!) - hugely entertaining in day-glow tweediness!

The result is impressive. If you’ve been reading our reviews over the past x10 years you know we gush when we love something - & THE PARENT AGENCY which is heading for The West End is a show that simply works. It’s FUN - actually HILARIOUS in parts. CATCHY. Has all the right elements to become a HIT. I feel it will be picked up and toured with ease.

Stand-out tracks:

BARRY
THE RADOR WELLORFS
GONNA MAKE YOU SWEAT
EVERYDAY LOVE

Costumes from SARAH MERCADÉ were so memorable. Vibrant, glossy, stylish. They really give a great silhouette which is enhanced by the wigs by CRAIG FORREST-THOMAS. - I’d like blue hair from now on please!

Choreo from CARRIE-ANNE INGROUILLE has to be mentioned. She allows all the ensemble to be bold and beautiful creating set pieces that allow EVERYONE on stage to shine. Often this isn’t the case.

What could be tweaked? There’s a piece of large scenery that’s pretty important to the show. It could become an automated piece that could twist out of the stage - like Pride Rock in The Lion King and would be less clunky. Obviously this could only happen in an appropriate west end theatre - not on tour…. But it would make the piece flow a little better. The giant egg timers are difficult to see - even from front middle stalls - so I’d use l-e-d individual light beads so you can see the sands of time falling away.

There’s 2 slow songs that I’d shorten.
That being said - the final slow song of Act 2 is beautiful - ‘EVERYDAY LOVE’. Really wraps up the characters well with - literally a big, warm fuzzy hug. People were noticeably moved in the audience during this track.

Looking around the audience people were beaming.

That my friends is a sign of a happy audience that can only leave us and them with a 5* smile.

5*****

Playing at Storyhouse, Chester until March 2nd 2025