“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A show that reminds you that life is to be lived, grab opportunities when they arrive and always follow your heart” – Small House Big Trips
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel has landed on the Alexandra Theatre Stage until February 25th 2023 and it is the very last week that you can catch iconic Hayley Mills and the fabulous Rula Lenska in the show and they really are not to be missed.
I have neither read the novel ‘These Foolish Things’ (which this stage production is based on) or watched the hit film ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’, starring Judi Dench, that was also inspired by the novel. So I review this as a person new to the production and storyline and I am now inspired to watch the film and read the book. I loved the story and felt it was a brilliant way to spend a Wednesday evening. Laughing, smiling, empathising and heading home feeling that growing old is something not to dread, but to embrace and enjoy.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel takes us to India, Bangalore to be precise. Mrs Kapoor’s (Rekha John-Cheriyan) husband has passed away, leaving her and her son, Sonny (Nishad More) to make ends meet in their hotel which is in dire need of repairs and fails to get any custom. Sonny has a great idea to advertise that they are a luxury retirement home in India. A group of British retirees all leave England for a new life of ‘luxury’ at the Marigold Hotel, which on arrival is far from what was advertised. But what their new retired life lacks in luxury, is replaced with friendship, adventure, love and even new employment!
This is a production filled with an iconic and talented cast including BAFTA and Golden Globe-Award winner, Hayley Mills (Murder She Wrote, Parent Trap and Wild at Heart), Paul Nicholas (Jesus Christ Superstar, EastEnders and Heartbeat) and Rula Lenska (Coronation Street, EastEnders and Midlands based Doctors). It also features Andy de la Tour (Notting Hill, Star Wars, Oliver Twist), Rekha John-Cheriyan (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Tomb Raider, Hollyoaks), Marlene Sidaway (Coronation Street, Pride and Prejudice), Shila Iqbal (Doctors, Emmerdale) and Richenda Carey (Darling Buds of May, Downton Abbey and The Muppet Show) to name a few.
The cast worked so well on the stage together and it felt like they were having as much fun performing as we were watching (the audience had plenty of moments where they were laughing out loud). It is beautifully written (Deborah Moggach) and directed (Lucy Bailey) and the stage design (Colin Richmond) was cleverly created and well thought out.
I thoroughly enjoyed the performance and would recommend for an evening out this week.
Book your tickets here: https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-best-exotic-marigold-hotel/the-alexandra-theatre-birmingham/