Footballer’s Wives: The Musical – Ed Fringe 2025

Footballer’s Wives: The Musical: Assembly Rooms, Music Hall

20th August 2025

★★★★

Based on the iconic TV series following the fall and rise of captain’s wife Tanya Turner as she schemes to save her marriage and her husband’s career, Footballer’s Wives takes audiences back to 2002 when Premier League football was the new rock’n’roll – with the money, glamour and bad behaviour to match.

This musical is glitzy, slightly trashy (in the best sense) and a lot of fun. The characters are way over the top, almost in a pantomime villain style but they do work considering the show. Tanya Turner (played superbly by Ceili O’Connor) is fierce, fearsome and used to getting her way. Vocally O’Connor is a power horse however at times the songs do begin to blend into one with almost every song including loud belts and high notes. Leesa Tulley plays Donna Walmsley perfectly, being the only normal WAG in the show and her moving song ‘Just A Girl Who Loved A Boy’ is excellent and a highlight of the show.

This production has clearly had a lot of time and money spent on it and is very well directed by Anthony Banks, with large set pieces and a huge amount of costume changes featuring ever shorter glitzy dresses in the style of the early 00’s. Arlene Phillips’ choreography is clever and performed well but doesn’t particularly add to the show. The opening and closing number is particularly catchy and will surely have audience is humming it as they leave, however the other songs tend to blur into one. The lyrics by Kath Gotts are witty and clever at times and as mentioned before all of the cast are excellent and deliver fantastic performances but the score lacks variety and depth.

Footballer’s Wives is certainly sassy, glitzy and features vocals which will blow the cobwebs away. It is over the top fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously – perfect for the Fringe.

Footballer’s Wives is playing daily until the 24th August. For more information and tickets click here.

Photo Credit: Alex Brenner

AD – PR invite in exchange for a honest review.