FREAKY FRIDAY - HOME, Manchester (22/12/25)

In the wake of the movie sequel, stage musical of the original is nice...but little else

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Anyone with even the slightest theatrical acumen will be able to tell you that there is no shortage of musicals based on our favourite movies, dating back to the 1955 adaptation of "Silk Stockings", the silver screen has lent itself to new theatre for decades now. And though many of these have become all time greats, classics and record breakers, there will undoubtedly always be a handful that fall short of meeting the necessary criteria for what makes a terrific movie-musical translation; Tom Kitt, Brian Yorkey and Bridget Carpenter's stage iteration of the 2003 film "Freaky Friday" (itself based on the 1972 Mary Rodgers novel of the same name), alas, falls into the latter camp.

The show tells the story of mother Katherine and daughter Ellie, who magically switch bodies after a much heated argument in the lead up to Katherine's hotly anticipated wedding to fiancé Mike. All of this whilst Ellie has annual tradition "the hunt" with which to contend, in her attempt to fit in with her peers. Now I'm not saying that this wasn't an enjoyable experience, in fact there is a fabulous sense of fun throughout, and this is conveyed beautifully by the entire cast. Where this musical falls down is that it invariably fails to really lift off in terms of its artistic cohesion, too much about it feels disjointed. Additionally, the innate disharmony between the book and the score, with more than one song feeling like it was thrown in with little wider consideration, unfortunately leads to a sense of narrative disengagement.

Rebecca Lock and Jena Pandya (credit: Mark Senior)

This is most evident early in the first act, during which, following an extensive, more or less well executed expositional opening number, we seem to haphazardly flop into the pivotal "body switch" scene with reckless abandon. The responsibility of this falls with Carpenter and director Andy Fickman it has to be said, as although the overall flow from one scene to another was generally fairly seamless, and in many ways the dialogue is quintessentially Disney, there were still noticeable moments of narrative and transitional stagnancy.

Where this reframing of the original story comes into its stride, however, is how it explores familial dynamics, and the often fractured communication between teenage kids and their parents, with the addition of Katherine's stringent yet frenetic wedding planning proving to be the catalyst for our main protagonists addressing their respective contentions. There is a sweetness and sense of warmth generated by the journey taken by our two leads, and much like any beloved Disney property, there is a lesson to be learned along the way.

The company of "Freaky Friday" (credit: Mark Senior)

Unequivocally we have a cast boasting no shortage of talent, with Rebecca Lock and Jena Pandya (as Katherine and Ellie respectively) masterfully sharing the weight of driving the story forward. The way in which they encompass each other's character subtleties, right down to how they carry themselves physically, was delightfully measured, and made for some terrific comedic moments; you almost believed that they really had made that corporeal exchange. Other standouts in this cast included the ever charismatic Waylon Jacobs in an impressive range of roles, and Katherine Pearson displaying her own phenomenal range and unmatched comic timing.

Bolstered by David Shields' impressive sets, and some simply dazzling choreography by Alexzandra Sarmiento, this production is an unbridled feast for the eyes, and many will no doubt have a rollicking great time with this fun, heartfelt adaptation of a much loved early 2000s exponent of Disney. The main drawback is that, in spite of it being enjoyable, one can't really say much more beyond that, as the wonky direction and lacklustre book take away from the show's positives, and though Kitt and Yorkey's score may be packed full of character, it never truly elevates the story to make this movie to musical theatre treatment feel warranted.

★★★☆☆ (3*)

"Freaky Friday" runs at HOME in Manchester until the 10th of January (tickets)

{PR/Gifted tickets}