Bad Girls
Sharnbrook Mill Theatre
16th May 2024
It’s time already for Sharnbrook Mill Theatre’s second show of the year. The Bedfordshire-based venue gave us the brilliantly-bonkers ‘The Hound Of The Baskervilles’ back in March, and next up it’s back to musical territory, with ‘Bad Girls. Based on the ITV prison drama series from the early 00s, the musical isn’t massively well-known, having a small Leeds tryout in 2006 followed by a brief West-End run. There have been a couple of fringe productions in the years since, but it’s definitely time we saw it again, and now’s the chance.
The show takes us to Larkhall, a women’s prison in South London, and introduces us to the staff and inmates of G-Wing. Officers Sylvia Hollamby (Jenny Tymon-Robins) and Jim Fenner (Tim Jackson-Waite) try to keep the prisoners in-line, alongside governor Helen Stewart (Elspeth Duffy), but it’s no easy task. When newcomer Rachael Hicks arrives (Charlotte Pask), she soon learns the tough backstories of her fellow inmates, from theft and assault to drugs and murder. They all have a tale to tell, and reasonings for their crimes, and Rachael soon learns what the pecking order is among the women, especially when Yvonne Atkins arrives (Annette Codrington), sparking a rival with reigning ringleader Shell Dockley (Louise Devonshire-Mander). However, behind the scenes, suspicions arise that Fenner is abusing his position with the inmates, and with Stewart trying to make changes for the better, Fenner does everything he can to make Stewart’s campaign fail.
‘Bad Girls’ met with a very mixed critical reception on its release, and in truth the material is tonally uneven. Maureen Chadwick & Ann McManus’s writing remains as strong as ever (they wrote the original series), but blending the dark gritty drama with frothy musical numbers and toe-tapping dance numbers creases a muddled mix which doesn’t cohesively work as an overall idea. Had it been either a hard-hitting play, or a spoof parody musical comedy, it would feel far more effective, but flipping from sexual assault and suicide to jazz hands and zany choreography just doesn’t quite work. The score (by Kath Gotts) also isn’t the strongest, with largely forgettable ballads lacking standout moments, with only really “The Baddest & The Best” hitting the mark.
However this is the show as written, and Sharnbrook Mill Theatre aren’t to blame, for their delivery and production values remain as high as ever. As always, what they can do with the intimate space is extraordinary (this is no small cast). The set looks fantastic, one of the best we’ve seen at Sharnbrook productions, and is impressively used, as well as clever striking lighting. It’s another reminder of how good Sharnbrook Mill are at creating a seemingly-endless world of different locations and environments in what would initially appear a quite limited space. Special mention also needs to go to the riot scene which closes the first act, which is powerfully delivered and really packs a punch in such an intimate space. It’s also wonderful hearing the Sharnbrook band, led by MD Kaye Tompkins, and they sound as good as ever.
Performances are also strong which again we’ve come to know the Sharnbrook Team for. Audience favourite Tim Jackson-Waite is back, and is repulsively good as Fenner. Jackson-Waite has exceptional comic timing and usually plays the buffoon, and seeing him as a sleazy creepy villain is a real change and shows how strong an actor he is. He still has that naughty twinkle in his eye but now the intentions behind it are much darker and he plays it brilliantly. Elspeth Duffy is also back (wonderful in Evita last year), and makes a strong but charming Helen, and giving us that great voice again. Annette Codrington is also brilliant as Yvonne, showing nothing amateur about her performance and giving us a formidable volatile woman with plenty of guts. And props also to Louise Devonshire-Mander for throwing herself into the role of Shell Dockley so completely and seemingly having a lot of fun doing it too.
‘Bad Girls’ might not work brilliantly as a musical, but Sharnbrook Mill’s production is still something to enjoy, and they’ve done a great job creating it. The performances and staging outweigh the weaknesses in the material, and it’s another reminder of what a talented bunch they are. With ‘The Girl On The Train’, ‘Elf’, and original musical ‘Rewired’ still to come this year, we know they’ll be hard at work soon on the next production as soon as they get their breath back from this one, and we’re looking forward to seeing what they come up with.
‘Bad Girls’ runs at Sharnbrook Mill Theatre until Saturday 18th May 2024.
Performance runtime 2 hours 50 minutes including interval
