The Week in Theatre: Top Girls, Bake Off Musical, Sleepova, and Oklahoma!
The Week in Theatre: Top Girls, Bake Off Musical, Sleepova, and Oklahoma!

Firstly, let’s talk about Top Girls, which has been revived in Liverpool. Although Caryl Churchill, the playwright, has noted that her 1982 classic, which explores Thatcher’s Britain, is more about society than feminism, this production is filled with human struggles and disappointments. Tala Gouveia is a convincing Marlene, managing director of Top Girls Recruitment Agency, but despite her success, she is also a casualty in her own way. The play shows that individual ambition does not necessarily contribute to the common good, and the lack of cohesion in the cast reflects this. Despite this, the opening dinner party scene, where famous women collide in a restaurant, has some excellent moments.

The Great British Bake Off Musical, with music by Pippa Cleary and book by Jake Brunger, has arrived in the West End following a summer run in Cheltenham. Directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, the show is affectionately satirical and boasts good songs. It questions the friendliness contestants show to each other, with an unexpected treat in the form of Obviously, the show’s most satisfying number. A top-notch cast is led by super-tuneful Charlotte Wakefield as Gemma, a humble carer from Blackpool.

Sleepova is a promising show by Matilda Feyisayo Ibini, a Nigerian-British writer. The production follows four black 16-year-old girls in a soft play center of a bedroom, where Shan is sensitively played by Aliyah Odoffin, who has sickle cell disease. Amber Grappy gives a glorious performance as extroverted yet vulnerable Rey, Bukky Bakray is captivating as Funmi in pursuit of the boy(s) of her dreams, and Shayde Sinclair is terrific as devout Elle, who is beginning to discover her gay sexuality.

The Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, Oklahoma!, continues to be a popular choice for theatregoers. The production at Everyman, Liverpool, is a reinvention of the classic and is a must-see. The show is packed with great songs, and the cast delivers powerful performances. The Noël Coward and Bush theatres in London also have a lineup of excellent productions that are sure to impress audiences.