It is always difficult to adapt a book to a film and then onto the stage as the expectation is huge.
Hayley Mills as Evelyn and Rula Lenska as Madge in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel | Photo © Johan Persson
The scope and style of the film is captured in the design by Colin Richmond but the expansive and impressive set whilst a glorious setting makes the action hard to capture.
The story of the wealthy Brits looking for a better option than staying in the UK is easy to believe and the continual reminder of how family fail to look after their elders a little laboured; the story is much the same.
The restrictions of staging means some of the more meaningful moments are lost and essentially the non-UK characters are lightly sketched and the stories feel much diluted.
The cast is excellent and works well with the material available but the energy is sapped and diminished by the attempts to recreate the cinematic feel of the script.
The upstage office area is blocked by awkward direction which becomes frustrating and somehow does not resonate with the attention to the downstage area which flows much easier.
Rula Lenska as Madge prowls with glory whilst Nishad More is an utterly convincing Sonny under the thumb of his dragon mother Mrs Kapoor, Rekha John-Cheriyan.
Paul Nicholas as Douglas and Hayley Mills as Evelyn are evidently a match made from the outset but troubled by the existing partner Eileen Battye.
There is little availability to develop the many cameo roles, which seem a little token in the way the script plays out. The vitally important moments in the show happen in the final few moments with little time for reflection or development on any level.
It is a stellar cast with a beautiful set who are weighed by the structure of the script. There is still much to enjoy and clearly the full house enjoyed the show enormously.
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Reviewer: Petra Schofield
