Spice girls & Musicals - When 2 become 1

I told you i wouldn't write on there on a regular basis. But today, it looks like i have something to say. So here goes.

A few weeks ago I had the chance to see Viva Forever! the musical. For a Spice Girls hardcore fan like I was (and I still I am), it was absolutely thrilling. It feels like i'm an innocent 6 years old again, and well... this is one of the best feelings ever.

The musical is not about the story of the Spice Girls but about a girl band who is trying to become famous thanks to a talent show. the main topics are basically, friendship, loyalty, fun, fame and love...basically what the Spice Girls were about. I guess these topics are dear to any SG fan; it's quite easy to relate to the story of those 4 girls.

I've read so many reviews about the show saying that it was "appalling", "MT at its worse" and all that jazz...which might be true if you look at it from a professional point of view. It was time for me to say something good about it. There are many reasons for theatergoers & critics to hate this show, but there are also a lot of reasons to enjoy it.  I'm definitely not trying to be objective here. So this is a Spice Girls/Musicals fan's opinion on the matter.

My decision to see the show was quite improvised. I like deciding to see a show on the day, you can always use a good discount. Anyway, I was totally hyper about seeing a musical related to the Spice Girls. My mindset : these songs meant the world to the child i was. I will enjoy it. No matter what. So yes, i was totally biased and I still I am. But when you're expecting to like something you can be dramatically disappointed...which wasn't the case (thankfully). I had asked one of my best friends who has the same tastes in musicals as me what she thought of it, so that i knew what to expect. She said to me "don't expect a challenging plot....but you're going to love it !". And she was absolutely right.

Let's face it, when it comes to the story, it's not the new Les Miserables. But that's not what the show is about. The storyline is indeed quite ridiculous. But at the same time, it allows anyone to identify to it...well, to identify to at least one of the characters. Four things made the show for me :

The Songs : Obviously, if you ever listened to the Spice Girls a little bit too much like i did, you will enjoy the different versions of the songs. It's always thrilling to be able to sing along all the songs in a musical. I think, for most fans, the SG songs always take you back to a happy/carefree time. If you listen to the lyrics, the message is almost always positive. Being french, SG songs were a good way for me to start learning English at a very young age. I tried hard to understand what they were singing and i'm sure it somehow helped me get accustomed to pronunciation of words & the british accent. Now that I need to speak English everyday, i'm very grateful for it. (and i'm glad i don't make the confusion between "Thank you" and "Too much" anymore ;) ). Moreover, i really appreciate how each song is used in the evolution of the story. For the first time, i actually listened to the lyrics carefully, and in my eyes they fitted perfectly with the plot. the Goodbye/Mama mash up even brought tears to my eyes. I believe it really created beautiful mix of emotions : I could totally picture Geri leaving the group again (which broke my heart at the time....don't get me started on this, trust me, you don't want to live 1998 again !) and at the same time i was thinking about the special connection I have with my mum (which obviously made me emotional....surprising, isn't it ?).

Humour : If you like Jennifer Saunders's work, you'll probably appreciate the characters' personalities and the jokes. Unlike many critics I found the show hysterical. The Suzi/Lauren duo is "absolutely fabulous" and Minty has the be one of the #FunniestMTCharacters. The three judges' personalities cracked me up. They're so close to reality. If you ever watched a talent show, in any country, you'll see what I mean. I #HashtagLOLed all the way through the show....'cuz I can. Oh and if you don't laugh during "2 become 1"....i really reallly don't understand you.

The Cast : again, this is a very subjective point of view as you'll never find a unanimous opinion about a cast. But I found the cast very very good (overall). There's so much energy on stage, it's contagious. They make you wanna stand up, join them on stage and shake your junk (uh oh...that reminds me of something... ). Lucy Montgomery and Sally Ann Triplett's chemistry on stage is just brilliant, they are hilarious from beginning to the end, and the vocals are just as good. I should probably not say anything about Sally Dexter (Simone) as I'm clearly too biased. I adored her in Bad Girls the musical and obviously adore her in this as well. She's one of these performers who have un indescribable talent that is totally original and different from anyone else. You can't help but look at her whenever she's on stage. And that voice....so powerful and inimitable. Needless to say that Tamara Wall is ridiculously funny as Karen. That's no news, we knew she would be (Any Legally Blonde fans there ?) The four girls are great, very different from each other and they all shine in their own way. their characters have nothing to do with the Spice girls but at the same time, you could see a bit of Sporty, Posh, Baby, Scary and Ginger in each of them.

GIRL POWER! : is the word. there's not much to say about it really. It's the perfect illustration of what the Spice girls were about : Friendship, Fun, Carefreeness, Loyalty, Self-Confidence, Instinctive decisions & Ambition to conquer the world.

That's how i see it. All this made me reflect on the impact the Spice Girls had in my life. From the age of 6 to 8 i lived for the Spice Girls. (is putting Ketchup in my hair to be Ginger and begging my gran to buy me platform shoes convincing enough for you ?) and i guess they somehow helped shaping who I am now. And i'm very grateful to those five women for making my childhood unique and magical. (this is the soppy bit, sorry about that).

 Call it cheesy, stupid, pointless...Stop right now, thank you very much. I love Viva Forever! And if you're trying to convince me not to....well....

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE ?

PS : I had to upload that picture. Did I tell you how much I love Geri Halliwell ?....(again, don't get me started)