Spend, Spend, Spend

Synopsis

Scraping by on seven quid a week with her husband and three kids in a tiny terraced house in Castleford, Yorkshire, Viv Nicholson’s life was as near rock bottom as it could get. Until that day in 1961 when Viv borrowed 5 from her Mam to play the Pools and she was catapulted from obscurity to fame with the biggest win ever - £152,319 (£5 million today). And that was it, Viv and Keith’s lives changed overnight and Viv declared to the world she was going to spend, spend, spend. ‘Booze, big cars, big spending, big headlines’ and a succession of husbands soon led to bankruptcy. From rags to riches and back to rags again, a gritty and poignant musical about the extraordinary story of a brash and naïve, northern lass

Our Review:

Simon Tavener - 6 October 2010

For a self-confessed fan of musicals, it is a rare treat to discover something new – and such is the case with Spend, Spend, Spend. The story of Viv, a woman who won a fortune on the Pools and then lost it again is an unusual subject matter for a musical – but it works.

Craig Revel Horwood’s production started at the Watermill in Newbury last year and it is a very accomplished piece of work. Slick, cheeky, characterful and packed with energy, it is a long way from what you might expect from his ‘Strictly’ persona – but it is clear that he knows how to shape a good musical.

I am not yet won over by the idea of using actor-musicians (a trademark of Watermill productions) but they integrate their instruments into the action seamlessly. There are a few balance issues when the actors come into the auditorium (a trombone next to your ear tends to drown out any other sounds) but otherwise the musical performances are all excellent.

Central to the success of the evening are t...

Read more of the review

Latest User Review

No reviews yet

Click here to add your review