NEVER FORGET, THE MAYFLOWER, SOUTHAMPTON

TAKE some of the magic of Britain’s biggest boy band, mix it with the glamour and fun of musical theatre and top it off with a score of impossibly catchy tunes where the audience already knows all the words and you have a winning combination.

Never Forget is another in the popular genre of musicals that take the songs of a well-known band and sets them to a story that vaguely reflects the fortunes of the original act.

Ash, Jake, Adrian, Harry and Jose are “manufactured” into a Take That tribute band under the controlling eye of their seedy manager, Ron.

But the pressures of seeking fame and fortune soon cause a split in the band with the talented Ash, the band’s own Gary Barlow, being lured away from his mates and girlfriend, Chloe, by the glamorous agent Annie and the promise of reaching the big time.

After a couple of slight wobbles in the first half, where the dialogue was unclear, the show soon gathered momentum. This was helped by some dazzling choreo-graphy that Gary, Mark, Robbie, Howard and Jason would have been proud of.

The Take That and Party and Babe routines were laugh-out-loud moments and were coupled with some fine vocal performances. Mark Willshire gave a good imitation of Gary Barlow’s vocal prowess and Aimie Atkinson’s powerful rendition of Love Ain’t Here Anymore as the jilted Chloe was another highlight.

The second act was even more dynamic, with Relight My Fire nearly stoking up as much enthusiasm as if the five original band members themselves had been on stage. An adorable children’s choir immaculately executed the first few lines of Never Forget before being joined by the cast and entire audience for an encore no one wanted to end.

Jill Harding