Did Mrs Henderson Presents cheer the critics?

Kris Hallett, WhatsOnStage

★★★

"Terry Johnson's production embraces the eccentricity of the English pier revue show and reveals Johnson to be the spiritual heir to Joan Littlewood."

"There are issues that need to be addressed though. The light hearted knockabout work of the first half makes way for a flatter second as though the more serious issues that arise as war breaks out suck the energy out of the piece."

"Charming, a little bit naughty and full of heart, it's as English as it comes and in an age of the international brand musical it would be a welcome addition to the West End repertoire."

Quentin Letts, Daily Mail

★★★★★

"The show is stolen by the Windmill girls, most of all by Emma Williams as Maureen. What a voice, I feel bound to say. What stage presence"

"Mark Hadfield does some of his customary comedy stuff – few actors move with greater comic efficiency – and Samuel Holmes has some great moments as gay Bertie, the token boy."

"High dramatic art? Maybe not. But I have not emerged from a theatre feeling quite so cheerful for a long time."

Michael Billington, The Guardian

★★★★

"one of the cheering things about this show, inspired by the 2005 movie, is its defiant Britishness: it’s no accident that the book and direction are in the hands of Terry Johnson"

"George Fenton and Simon Chamberlain have come up with a delightful score, in which rousing ensembles, especially the title-song, alternate with wistful ballads about the passage of time."

"The performances are also first-rate."

Claire Allfree, Daily Telegraph

★★★

"Don Black‘s lyrics, combined with George Fenton and Simon Chamberlain‘s gaudy score, are sometimes witty, sometimes syrupy. Yet they capture well the chirpy determination of the crew and cast of The Windmill"

"Johnson’s cast, in turn, show impressive commitment to a production that often feels like a horribly blunt instrument."

"This is not a subtle evening by any means, but with its mix of wholesome sauce and home fires burning, it’s definitely a stirring one."

Mark Shenton, The Stage

★★★★

"There's a palpable affection instead of affectation towards the material and these characters, exemplified in the gorgeously generous performance of Tracie Bennett as Laura Henderson (the Judi Dench role from the film), whose gruff vocals are contrasted with the poignantly sweet-voiced Emma Williams as Maureen."

"It's a show, in other words, rooted in an underpinning of reality, but the joy of this adaptation is also in its true evocation of a music hall influenced strip club, complete with a broad, bawdy comedian (affectionately played by Mark Hadfield)."

"I predict a fast West End transfer for it – and a certain life on the touring road thereafter."

Mrs Henderson Presents runs at the Theatre Royal, Bath until 5 September.