Lovers Actually

The Other Palace

This show is quite pretty. A parody musical based on the classic Christmas film ‘Love Actually’ with a cast of pocket rockets. It’s a Christmas delight... If you've seen the movie.

If Love Actually is one of your festive favourites, and you love a parody, then this will be your cup of tea. This musical is NOT a PG show, and it’s another show for adults. It will keep you laughing, and just when you think it couldn’t get any funnier, you will be caught in a roar of laughter. You do have to see the film to fully appreciate this show; otherwise, you’ll just think it’s a bit silly. This is a lot of fun, and with a cast of 4 actors, they have to jump into an array of various roles. The energy levels are high! The chaos is what gives this show its charm. It has all the iconic Love Actually scenes, it’s exaggerated, clever, and you won’t want the madness to end. It's a little dirty, best paired with the themed cocktails and a few friends. It's electric, festive fun.

All of your favourite characters are brought to life by 4 brilliant actors. I would love to know how they have bundles of energy! Each cast member is as good as the next. How they have characterised each of the characters/actors that are in the film is hilarious. Holly Sumpton, who has starred recently in Till the Stars Come Down and Operation Mincemeat, brings her comedy genius to this piece. Her embodiment of Keira Knightley is amusing; she has taken into account Knightley's mannerisms and exaggerated them. Each cast member does this just as well. Ross Clifton does a fabulous impression of Alan Rickman, whilst combining Rickman's well-known role of Snape in the Harry Potter film series. This combination elevates the comedy, similarly done by Joseph Beach, who plays Liam Neeson in the film, whilst combining the tough guy character Neeson is usually cast in. The cast has a great ability to create comedy out of mishaps on stage, and this adds to the witty and fast-paced style of the show.

As this show is a Christmas treat, it's fitting that the set is literally a backdrop of a gift with a massive bow. It's clever how they use this setting to create the scene's environment. It has different compartments that turn into different kinds of settings; some doors and flaps are used as windows. Whilst there are minimal colours, the cast are what put the colour into the show and how they use their costumes to create the images of the actors from the film. There are many props used throughout the piece, one of my personal favourites is when Sumpton uses her costume to hide sheets that have her lines on to give the impression of subtitles, she lifts her apron to reveal one of them, and it honestly is one of the funniest moments. Brilliant comic moments are abundant, some planned and a couple unplanned. How they react to the unplanned moments adds to this show's unique charm.

Whilst this show is hilarious, fun and a great night out, it is difficult to enjoy to the full extent if you haven't seen the iconic Christmas film. All the jokes are sex related, and it can feel a little overdone at times. However, the fun parodies of the songs from the film, the characters and how the cast clearly have a lot of fun are what make this show so charming about this show. It lifts your spirits and indeed gets you in the festive mood. So if you too love a bit of Love Actually and crave something light-hearted, then here is your Christmas gift in the form of theatre! If you haven't seen the film, then make sure you do before you watch this!