REVIEW: Fat Friends the Musical at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton

The Producers of Fat Friends must have been delighted to have created this new show. Based on the highly successful TV and film writer Kay Mellor's four season TV show of the same name which ended in March 2005 with the music written by Lloyd Webber (Nick, not Andrew) and a cast including the winner of BBC's "I'd do anything", an ITV's 2013 X Factor winner, A Channel 5 Celebrity Big Brother female winner, Curly Watts from ITV Coronation street until 2003 and a cricket legend making his musical theatre debut. Add to this a theme of female body image and media obsession with weight loss and they have created a production that is certain to generate local interest in each of its 16 city venues on tour. Judging by the full house on the opening nights of the tour at Southampton's very large Mayflower Theatre that interest is being converted into ticket sales to a largely female audience, although it was the arrival on stage of Freddie Flintoff that generated a round of applause of recognition.

Flintoff plays Kevin, the rather forlorn simple Yorkshire lad who is in love with Kelly played by Jodie Prenger, the BBC series winner. Flintoff relies on his natural charm and physical presence to carry him through the show. When he returns home from his stag do you can't help reflecting how he must be drawing on that glorious night in 2005 when he celebrated the Ashes win, if he has any memories of it! He is a great sport throughout and makes a valiant attempt in his solo number "the only fool is me" but he is no match for the trained singers around him. I hope he does not regret signing up for the long tour.

Where are they now? I'd Do Anything!

Following on from How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria and Any Dream Will Do, the third instalment in the Andrew Lloyd Webber series was I'd Do Anything which searches for the new stars of the musical Oliver!, whilst the show did search for the role of Oliver, the adult and public voting side of the show searching for the role of Nancy. The series to follow was Over the Rainbow (The search for Dorothy). Rival TV shows to these BBC produced series also came up in Superstar (The search for Jesus), Grease is the Word (The search for Danny and Sandy) and Fame: The musical (the search for Nick and Serena). If you are a theatre geek like me, you'll remember these TV shows! And if you don't, you'll certainly know some of the contestants. So, where are they now?

Jodie Prenger

Jodie went on to win the role of Nancy and played it in the revival of Oliver! at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. After playing Nancy she has been seen as The Lady of the Lake in Spamalot (UK Tour), Dolly in the National Theatre's production of One Man Two Guvnors (Theatre Royal Haymarket); the title role in Calamity Jane (UK Tour); Emma in Tell Me on a Sunday (UK Tour); Miss Hannigan in Annie (UK tour), Madame Thénardier in Les Miserables (Asia & Dubai); the title character in Shirley Valentine (UK tour); Kelly in Fat Friends (UK Tour) and Beverley in Abigails Party (UK Tour). She has also appeared in TV shows such as Loose Women, Waterloo Road, Candy Cabs and Casualty. Most recently, she was seen playing Helen in Taste of Honey on its UK Tour and at the Trafalgar Studios in London's West End. @Musicalmissy

Jessie Buckley

After finishing second in the show, Jessie played Anne Egerman in the revival of A Little Night Music at the Menier Chocolate Factory and the Garrick Theatre. After that she went on to train at RADA and has since played Belvedira in Venice Preserv’d (The Spectators’ Guild); Princess Katharine in Henry V (Michael Grandage Company); Miranda in The Tempest (The Globe); Constanze Weber in Amadeus (Chichester Festival Theatre); Perdita in The Winter's Tale (Garrick Theatre). On TV she can be seen in Taboo, War & Peace, The Woman in White and The Lost Post. She has also broken into the movie business with roles in movies like Beast, Wild Rose, Judy, Dolittle, Ironbark and Misbehaviour.

FIRST LOOK: Jodie Prenger stars as Calamity Jane

The production, which features "a cast of multi-talented actor/musicians", is directed by Nikolai Foster (Beautiful Thing, The Witches of Eastwick) and will run from 17 July to 6 September 2014 at the Watermill, Newbury prior to a national tour.

Calamity Jane, which features the songs "The Black Hills of Dakota", "The Deadwood Stage (Whip-Crack-Away)", "Just Blew in from the Windy City" and "Secret Love", is adapted for the stage by Charles K Freeman and has music by Sammy Fain with lyrics by Paul Francis Webster.

It's produced by The Watermill Theatre Newbury in association with Jamie Wilson, Paul Elliott and Duncan C Weldon. Musical arrangements and supervision will be by Catherine Jayes.

Jodie Prenger stars in the title role of ‘Calamity Jane’, Tom Lister plays ‘Wild Bill Hickok, Alex Hammond plays ‘Danny’ and Pheobe Street plays Katie Brown.

Full cast announced for CALAMITY JANE tour starring Jodie Prenger

The production, which features "a cast of multi-talented actor/musicians", is directed by Nikolai Foster (Beautiful Thing, The Witches of Eastwick) and will run from 17 July to 6 September 2014 at the Watermill, Newbury prior to a national tour.

Calamity Jane, which features the songs "The Black Hills of Dakota", "The Deadwood Stage (Whip-Crack-Away)", "Just Blew in from the Windy City" and "Secret Love", is adapted for the stage by Charles K Freeman and has music by Sammy Fain with lyrics by Paul Francis Webster.

It's produced by The Watermill Theatre Newbury in association with Jamie Wilson, Paul Elliott and Duncan C Weldon. Musical arrangements and supervision will be by Catherine Jayes.

Joining the previously announced Jodie Prenger in the title role of ‘Calamity Jane’ will be Tom Lister as ‘Wild Bill Hickok, Alex Hammond as ‘Danny’ and Pheobe Street as Katie Brown.