A magical, romantic and nostalgic love story: Pretty Woman: The Musical opens in Sunderland

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With an exceptionally talented cast and creative team, Pretty Woman: The Musical absolutely shines on the Sunderland Empire stage.

Romantic, nostalgic and excited is how I felt leaving the theatre after watching Pretty Woman: The Musical open at the Sunderland Empire. 

As someone who had actually never seen the film (very rare - I know), I went in completely blind to Pretty Woman, but instantly fell in love with the story and the characters. 

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The show was absolute magic, mostly due to the exceptional talents of the cast, which included Love Island’s Amber Davies as Vivian Ward, Oliver Savile as Edward Lewis, Ore Oduba as Happy Man / Mr Thompson, and Natalie Paris as Kit De Luca. 

The show was brought to life by these individuals, who brought emotion, humour and likeability to their characters.

But it wasn’t only the main cast who caught my attention, as every single person who graced the stage was outstanding in their acting, singing and dancing abilities. 

In fact, my favourite character was actually Giulio, a hotel worker played by Noah Harrison. Despite having hardly any lines in the show, Harrison completely stole every scene he was in with his comic timing and amazing dance ability. You really couldn’t keep your eyes off him. 

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Pretty Woman follows the story of Vivian, a sex worker and her whirlwind romance with business man Edward, who hires her for a night. 

Davies and Savile had excellent chemistry on stage, really selling us the ultimate love story, and allowed us to root for their happily ever after. 

I have never seen Davies perform in a show, and although I am aware of her musical talents, I was still left speechless at her brilliance and skill. From her first solo song; Anywhere But Here, to her last; I Can’t Go Back, I had genuine goosebumps on my arms as I watched her shine on the stage in awe. 

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Paris, who played Vivian’s best friend Kit, is an absolute joy to watch on stage, with out-of-this-world vocal ability and the talent to convey emotion and humour at the flick of a switch. 

I really feel that Oduba who plays various roles in the show, most prominently Happy Man and Mr Thompson, is born to be a musical theatre performer. 

Despite starting his career in television presenting, Oduba takes to the stage with ease, confidence and exceptional skill. He joins the rest of the cast as a triple threat, with his singing, dancing and acting abilities of a very high quality.

Oliver Savile 'Edward Lewis' and Amber Davies 'Vivian Ward' in Pretty Woman: The Musical.Oliver Savile 'Edward Lewis' and Amber Davies 'Vivian Ward' in Pretty Woman: The Musical.
Oliver Savile 'Edward Lewis' and Amber Davies 'Vivian Ward' in Pretty Woman: The Musical. | Marc Brenner

Pretty Woman: The Musical is an absolute must-see, for fans of the original 1990 movie as well as those like me, who have never seen it before.

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My friend who watched with me is a huge fan of the movie starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, and she said the musical perfectly captured the excellence of the film, while putting its own phenomenal stamp on it.

I would highly recommend everyone to go and see Pretty Woman: The Musical, to experience the magic for themselves.

Pretty Woman: The Musical will be at the Sunderland Empire until Saturday, June 8. For more information and to book tickets, please visit the Sunderland Empire section of the ATG Tickets website. 

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