Once Upon a Time at the Adelphi

Synopsis

1930’s Liverpool, and the glitz and glamour of Hollywood pour off the luxury liners for their first taste of England; a night in the city’s most fashionable hotel. Amidst the chaos and decadence, no-nonsense Alice from Reception has fallen for the dashing Thompson from accounts - but fate, Hollywood, World War Two and a dizzying array of staff and guests intervene in an epic Liverpool love story spanning sixty years.

Our Review:

7 July 2008

Glitzy and glamorous, something like an old lady past her prime, The Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool still stands as an icon at the heart of this rejuvenated city. No longer a central point in which the great and good gather, The Adelphi is nonetheless as much a part of Liverpool’s heritage as The Beatles and St. George’s Hall making Phil Willmott’s musical to celebrate its history as eagerly anticipated as anything else contributing to the festivities of Culture Year.

Unlike the tired façade of the building that stands today, there is nothing shoddy about the set. A revolving maze of intricacy showing the lobby, the kitchens, the roof – on which Roy Rogers and Trigger once famously appeared – and the guest rooms are all lavishly displayed and just about outdoes the stunning range of costumes on display.

The music is sweeping and grandiose and the songs themselves are catchy – except, perhaps, for the overly schmaltzy “Once In A Lifetime” with its repeated refrain of “It’s Liverpoo...

Read more of the review

Latest User Review

Natalie Mack - 9 July 2008:

Sparkling dance routines, beautiful set, funny witty and fast, (ok odd bits of plot with Spanish Civil War shoehorned in) - but top class entertainment....

Read more and add your own review