Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World
Milton Keynes Theatre
24th January 2024
The accomplishments of women in history should never go unstated, and reminders shouldn’t be necessary, but every so often we all need an empowered poke in the ribs to make us remember all that we have to be thankful for. From breakthroughs in science and medicine, to revolutionary approaches to art and literature, not to mention equal rights, it’s a colossal movement of change which continues to inspire to this day. Doing what musical theatre does best, new touring show “Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World” takes a look at some of the massive changes that women have brought and hopes to inspire the next generations to do the same. First seen in 2021, the show is touring the UK in 2024, and plays this week at Milton Keynes Theatre.
11-year-old Jade (played by Georgia Grant-Anderson) finds herself forgotten about on a school trip to an art museum, and wanders into the closed-off Gallery Of Greatness, in which hang portraits of inspirational women throughout history, including Amelia Earhart, Emmeline Pankhurst, Frido Kahlo and Rosa Parks. The women come to life and Jade confides that she feels invisible in the world and doesn’t know where she fits in or how to change it. The women tell Jade their stories (through songs, obviously, this is a musical), hoping to inspire Jade to realise the potential that she has to change the world.
With ‘Fantastically…’ being a female-led history-focused 80-minute pop-infused show, comparisons to the mighty ‘Six’ are inevitable, brought on further by the show sharing one of the same producers. It will likely attract much the same audience, and its themes of empowerment and celebrating women are certainly hugely similar. ‘Fantastically…’ arguably digs deeper into its subjects, detailing their achievements as individuals rather than in relation to men, of whom barely a mention is made throughout the entire show, aside from those who stood in the way of the various inspirational figures or told them they weren’t good enough. This is a triumphant celebration of pioneering icons who literally changed the world by seeing it differently and challenging the norm, and as such is a hugely uplifting experience. Where the show falls behind ‘Six’ is its score (music and lyrics by Chris Bush, Miranda Cooper and Jennifer Decilveo, which doesn’t quite have the same instant earworms as those Tudor queens, and also a less sharp book (adapted by Bush from Suffragette descendant Kate Pankhurst’s children’s book), which plays things a little too earnestly. That said, the show is clearly aiming for a younger demographic so a more gentle touch is understandable, and the show details its subjects with respect and a gentle playfulness, which is massively endearing. It’s also a great selection of figures, mixing the well-known with the lesser-known and cleverly tying the various narratives and ideas together.
Director Amy Hodge keeps the pace tight, with some simple but inventive staging and giving the production a wonderful feeling of vibrancy and life, with eye-catching costumes and set design (Joanna Scotcher) and lighting (Zoe Spurr), and lively choreography (Danielle Lecointe) all of which ensure that the show remains engaging throughout for our littlest theatregoers. The live band sound great and really drive the songs, which are largely very good (although perhaps not always “fantastic”), and the score would benefit from a stronger “I want” song for Jade (“I’m Here’ doesn’t quite deliver), along with a belting torch song to really give the show a standout “moment”. But overall it’s an inoffensive, accessible and catchy pop-based score which is enjoyable to listen to, and the songs are performed well.
The main cast of five really do a “fantastic” job of selling this material, and it really is a true ensemble effort. Four of the performers appear in multiple roles and all have their standout moments, switching characters (and accents) with ease and really showing their diverse talents. Each has a time to shine, particularly Elena Breschi’s Frida Kahlo, Jennifer Caldwell’s Emmeline Pankhurst and Leah Vassell’s Rosa Parks, but there really isn’t a sub-par performance in the roster. Georgia Grant-Anderson also does well as Jade, having the lion’s share of dialogue and rarely leaving the stage, and giving a likeable and heart-warming performance.
On Press Night, a young girl behind me turned to her mum after the show and said “Mummy, I want to change the world”. If that’s not the true magic of theatre, I don’t know what is. Heaps of fun and heart, “Fantastically…” may live slightly in the shadow of ‘Six’, but its message runs deeper, and is a true testament to how much the world owes to women. As the show says, “there is no such thing as an ordinary woman”, and this little gem of a show is far from ordinary itself.
‘Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World’ runs at Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 27th January 2024 before continuing its UK tour.
Performance runtime 1 hour 25 minutes without interval
