Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World – Review

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World: The Other Palace, London

26th July 2024

★★★★★ 

After two successful UK tours and summer seasons at Theatre Royal Stratford East and Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World is back and this time it is in London’s The Other Palace. The show, based on Kate Pankhurst’s bestselling picture book, invites the audience to join Jade as she breaks away from her class to take a peek in the Gallery of Greatness, meeting incredible women such as Amelia Earhart, Emmeline Pankhurst, Rosa Parks and Frida Kahlo to name just a few. Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World is an empowering show, perfectly pitched to children and adults alike. Packed with iconic women, full on sass and poptastic hits; it is a great summer show for everyone.

To change a non-fiction children’s book into a musical is no easy feat but Chris Bush, along with director Amy Hodge, make it look easy. The audience is quickly introduced to main character Jade, played brilliantly by Georgia Grant-Anderson, and proceed to make their way through some of the most famous women in this 90-minute musical masterpiece. The music by Miranda Cooper and Jennifer Decilveo is fun, upbeat and catchy. There is a mixture of styles incorporated throughout the show from ballads to even Emmeline Pankhurst rapping her way through the suffragette movement. There are certainly some memorable songs including ‘Deeds Not Words‘ and ‘A World of Colour‘ culminating in a fun megamix which audience members are urged to record and join in with. All of this works excellently with the lively characters, modern backdrop and colourful lighting by Zoe Spurr. The set, designed by Joanna Scotcher, remains the same throughout the show but the clever hiding spaces and moveable crates create different elements to aid the storytelling. Choreography by Dannielle ‘Rhimes’ Lecointe, is fast, energetic and again effortlessly blends a mixture of styles. The staging has not changed massively since the UK tour but at times it does feel slightly squashed due to the small size of the stage at The Other Palace but it does not hinder the show or affect the high energy.

Fans of the previous productions need not worry, the new cast are all excellent and have managed to inject their own character into the show. Meg Hateley is superb throughout and manages to add humour to each character but it is her take as Emmeline Pankhurst which gets the whole audience clapping and singing along. At this performance Summer Priest and Rachel Seirian made their debuts and were both fantastic. Elena Breschi shines throughout as all her characters but certainly brings Frida Kahlo to life onstage. The cast, and talented onstage musicians, seemingly have fun throughout and their energy is infectious.

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World is all about empowerment. About realising that you can be what you want to be, achieve what you want to and that no matter who you are – that you matter. The message of equality is shown in a celebration of those women who have come and gone before us, and those yet to come. It is hard to leave the auditorium without feeling uplifted and empowered! The show has already proven to be a success during its previous tours so it is great that this message is now being brought to London for more to see. With extra early matinees during the summer holidays and a short show with no interval, this is the perfect first theatre show for many youngsters (and the adults will come away beaming too).

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World is playing at The Other Palace until the 8th September. For information and tickets click here.

Photo Credit: Ellie Kurttz