REVIEW: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel on the New Victoria Theatre, Woking

Deborah Moggach’s ebook These Foolish issues impressed a shock hit 2012 movie starring Judi Dench and Maggie Smith and a 2016-2020 TV sequence that includes Wayne Sleep, Paul Nicholas, and Selina Scott. Both benefited from inserting these acquainted faces within the precise setting of an Indian Hotel and displaying their experiences within the great tradition round it. She has now tailored her ebook for the stage for a UK Tour till June 2023 with 22 extra venues forward in addition to a transatlantic crossing on the Queen Mary in December earlier than the publicity claims a West End Transfer. The problem on this newest model is to seize the warmth and cultural environment of Bangalore in a single set of the resort courtyard with out seeing the locations round it that function within the video variations.

At the centre of the story and giving it actual coronary heart is the pleasant Hayley Mills as Evelyn (the Judi Dench character). She could also be 76 however she is younger at coronary heart and nonetheless emits a gently attractive aura that wins over throughout her. It is a powerful well-judged efficiency that charms and strikes us reflecting her expertise from her great movie, stage, and TV profession. Rula Lenska performs Madge (the Celia Imrie character) a feisty cougar, who has seen off three husbands, looking out for a youthful man with a improbable head of crimson hair and an extended, elegant look and line in chopping putdowns. She is robust and highly effective and a formidable power that’s sure to get her means. Marlene Sidaway is Muriel (the Maggie Smith character), described as “a poor old bugger, half dead already” and too timid to go outdoors the resort grounds.

Eileen Battye (who performed Anna within the King and I reverse Yul Brynner in 1979) performs Jean (Penelope Wilton within the movie) the dominant spouse of Douglas (performed by a slightly subdued Paul Nicholas) often seen marching throughout the stage on the way in which to exploring the world outdoors the resort together with her husband following meekly and obediently behind. While Andy de la tour performs the aged Lothario Norman whereas hiding a responsible secret that when revealed melts his unsympathetic look. Interestingly the character Dorothy (performed by Richenda Carey) was not within the unique movie and presents a mysterious upright and aloof character who disappears off on her personal mission with out partaking with the opposite residents however as soon as the reality is revealed offers a robust emotional response and perception into the historic relationship between Britain and India.

The younger forged is led splendidly by Nishad More because the son of the resort proprietor, Sonny, a cheerfully incompetent however energetic resort supervisor who charms the visitors and the viewers as we see him battle to reconcile his devotion to his mom performed by Rekha John-Cheriyan and his buddy Sahani (Shila Iqbal). The scenes the place the Indian tradition bursts onto the stage at a Funeral and a marriage or within the therapy of resort workers present a touch of the cultural world and variations outdoors. 

The staging is spectacular with an evocative two-storey courtyard designed by Colin Richmond (though on the New Victoria stage at Woking the masking within the wings was very poor) and the lighting by Oliver Fenwick didn’t actually seize the warmth of the Indian daytime solar. Lucy Bailey’s course has to deal with the quick vignette scenes of the primary forty-five minutes to determine the characters and the common resetting of chairs on the forestage however within the second half attracts the weather collectively as they reveal every of their very own truths and are available collectively as a gaggle of associates in order that regardless of the unhappiness, it turns into a joyous and uplifting celebration of life and reminds us all that it by no means too late in life to attempt one thing new.