Friendsical is, as it says on the tin, a musical parody based on the popular TV series Friends. Why it needed to be made into a musical is bewildering and unsurprisingly it comes with a disclaimer.

The cast of Friendsical
The production takes moments from all 10 seasons and packs it into a mash of chaotic musical numbers which are mediocre and a script which is rooted in the original but lacks the spark and brilliance of the series that made its mark.
There are moments of fun and certainly depending on where your superfan status lies it might well be, it does not really matter that it is a show that should be in an intimate venue with a strong edit.
The cast however, work like Trojans to deliver the numbers despite the driving click track. Sario Solomon and Sarah Michelle Kelly are clearly excellent musical theatre performers.
The choreography by Darren Carnall fits both the changing eras and the insanity of the format. Design by Anthony Lamble lifts the Central Perk setting and engages the onstage crew to create the TV set style by moving key pieces to create new environments.
Interest for the audience is kept alive by the various special guests that appear on the tour. Kimberly Wyatt was an asset to the opening night, whilst Jay Mcguiness is due at the end of the week.
There was much laughter in the audience and clearly some of the bigger hen parties were having an absolute riot. But this is a production with values closer to a fringe venue than a big tour.
It had its roots at The Edinburgh Festival and perhaps it remains a work in progress in many ways, it is clearly a niche product which is not so much a reflection of the cast, just a concept that is hard to justify.
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Reviewer: Petra Schofield