Waitress

Curve, Leicester

20^th July, 2026

“Big ol’ slice of live your life pie”

Celebrating its tenth anniversary, Sarah Bareilles and Jessie Nelson’s musical is hitting the road again on a UK tour. Based on Adrienne Shelly’s 2007 film, Waitress, which opened at Curve last night, offers a sweet slice of Americana, well-balanced with fleshed-out, morally-compromised characters and topped with a number of standout songs.

The story follows Jenna (Carrie Hope Fletcher), a waitress in a small, southern US town whose skill of inventing delicious pies provides an escape to her unhealthy marriage. Pregnant and scared of how her life might change, she finds herself having an affair with her doctor and dreaming of making something new for herself. The result is that Waitress swings from frivolous comedy to more serious fare quickly thanks to Nelson’s pacy book. Four years after I first saw it, it struck me that these tonal shifts are balanced by Bareilles’ songs skilfully setting the tone of each moment.

The diner scenes led by Jenna, Becky and Dawn highlight the chemistry between the three waitresses. Fletcher makes for a likeable Jenna, capturing her strength well. Sandra Marvin and Evelyn Hoskins return to the roles they’ve previously played on tour and in the West End, providing comedic relief as Jenna’s best friends. There is much to enjoy about their scenes including the awkwardness of Ogie (Mark Anderson), a clog-dancing, history-loving poet who clicks with Hoskins’ equally kookie Dawn. Furthermore, the scenes in the gynaecologist’s office between Jenna and the awkward New England Dr Pomatter (Dan Partridge) climax to a funny montage involving a number of different pies and positions! Les Dennis also gives a turn, albeit rather one-note, as the diner’s owner, going from irascible customer to a paternal figure who ultimately gives Jenna the keys to her new life. On the other hand, outside the safe confines of the diner, there is a clear sense of Jenna being trapped in an abusive marriage to Earl. In fact, suggestions of alcohol problems, unemployment, and a host of unhappy marriages sprinkled across the town show that life is not always sweet as apple pie.

The result in these shifts is that several lines don’t land as well as you might expect and some plot strands don’t get properly resolved. But this refusal for pat endings is admirable. There’s often a danger with this scale of Broadway musical for the shifts in tone to be overproduced, the emotional points carefully and mechanically timed to pull at heart strings. However, in Waitress, as in life, the contradictions of comedy and drama sit alongside each other like blueberry and bacon in a deep-dish pie. As Jenna says, she is “imperfect but she tries/ She is good but she lies” and she’s “all of this mixed up/ And baked in a beautiful pie”. The result is that Waitress, ten years on, still has its pie and eats it.

Bareilles’ country/pop-ish score is hugely enjoyable and the ‘Sugar Butter Flour’ motif nicely signifies the flights of fancy where Jenna imagines what her life could be. And the eleventh-hour number ‘She Used To Be Mine’ is a bona fide belter of a ballad. It contains a moment where the scruffy living room set rolls off and the stage opens up to leave Jenna singing out to the auditorium with the open sky behind her. The blue sky and open road backdrop of Scott Pask’s set conveys a sense of American optimism. It’s surely one of the most iconic moments of musical theatre in the last decade, and Fletcher had the theatre (many of them ardent fans) in the palm of her hand.

Diane Paulus’ direction (restaged here by Abbey O’Brien) keeps the show slickly moving forward and embraces the messy fun of baking. Go grab yourself a slice of red, white and blueberry pie.

Waitress plays at Curve, Leicester until 25^th July as part of a UK tour. For further dates, please visit Waitress the Musical UK Tour | Official Site

Carrie Hope Fletcher as Jenna in Waitress. Credit: Matt Crockett

Abigail's Party

 Monday 13^th July 2026

Curve, Leicester

 

‘It’s not a question of ignorance […]

 it’s a question of taste!’

 

The quote above encapsulates the thematic tussles and sharp tones at play in Mike Leigh’s seminal 1977 play, Abigail’s Party. In an era of both upward mobility (the rise in homeowners, and increasing multiculturalism thanks to the Windrush generation and migration of Asian Ugandans) and stark deprivation (this was the decade that witnessed the three-day working week and the Winter of Discontent) Leigh’s play focused a lens on the outward social and cultural mores that mask hidden darknesses in British suburbia. Yet, nearly 50 years on the play continues to entertain audiences in its familiarity, humour and bite. Nadia Fall’s latest revival (touring the UK before a short stint in the West End) delivers on laughs while homing in on the current of dissatisfaction at the heart of Leigh’s characters.

Glamourous Beverley and her aspirational estate agent husband, Laurence, host a drinks evening for new neighbours, Angela and Tony. They are soon joined by divorced mum of two, Sue, while her teenage daughter hosts her own raucous party at home. As the evening unfolds, facades slip in hysterical and poignant fashion. Peter McKintosh’s design feels authentically 70’s - a sea of warm colours, furnished in teak veneer and beige leather – which is occasionally brought into stark relief via Howard Harrison’s strobe lighting.

The small ensemble cast all gel well and share impeccably tight comic timing. Kevin Bishop’s posturing Laurence is all show with little substance, as he shows off his unread gold-embossed copies of Shakespeare. Bishop’s wandering accent is a nice touch that hints at Laurence’s insecurities. In contrast, Omar Malik is quietly intimidating beneath Tony’s monosyllabic, pretty-but-dumb appearance. Yet, it is the women who unashamedly steal the show. Lauren Patel is wildly funny as the outwardly naïve and tactless Angela. Initially a dim-witted puppet echoing the thoughts of the older and apparently more sophisticated Beverly, Patel excels in offering glimpses into the loneliness of her marriage to Tony – when Beverley gleefully jibes ‘is he often violent?’, her meek response, ‘no, just a bit nasty’ is quietly heartbreaking. Furthermore, during the dramatic denouement, the tables are turned and Angela becomes the pivotal player, and Patel again exposes the hidden depths of the character. Tamzin Outhwaite gives her all, holding court as the horrific Beverley, visibly fracturing before our eyes as she tries to control her curated image of cultured tastelessness and force her idea of ‘fun’ on those around her. Her oft repeated catch phrases ‘great!’, ‘have a little [coffee/cigarette/dance]’ and ‘know what I mean?’ add to the level of hysterical tension as she progressively speaks through gritted teeth and rictus grin.

 

 

 

Fall’s direction plays up the laughs and cringe-inducing faux-pas but ramps up to a climax of awkward realisation – we’re still giggling when it dawns on us that the action on stage is not funny anymore. Our final perspective is upended and we’re humbled, driven to sympathise with the overbearing yet vulnerable Beverley. Leigh’s play works because the characters are instantly recognisable as stalwarts of the British middle-classes, they are brash at times but emerge as fully rounded people. It may seem trite to compare two such well known classics, but I was at times reminded of Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf in the play’s exploration of marriage (not to mention the level of alcohol consumed!), albeit Leigh imbues the bitterness of stale relationships with a very British wit and ‘kitchen sink’ authenticity. I have never seen the famed BBC adaptation of Abigail’s Party, but I can see now why it’s such an enduring and beloved piece of homegrown drama. Fall and co. present a highly polished revival featuring some knock out performances that highlight the resonance of Leigh’s themes in today’s society.

 

Abigail’s Party plays at Curve, Leicester until 18^th July. For more information, please visit https://www.curveonline.co.uk/whats-on/shows/abigails-party-2/ 

It plays the Harold Pinter Theatre from 12th August - 19th September.

Tamzin Outhwaite in Abigail's Party. Credit: Ellie Kurttz

Public the Musical

 Curve, Leicester

4^th June, 2026

“Now I’m the missing pieces”

In recent years, Curve has become a powerhouse of producing musicals – notably revivals, but also new work. Freya Catrin Smith and Jack Williams’ RIDE in 2023 was a neat chamber musical with a playfully expansive narrative. Last year, Scott Evan Davis’ and Kait Kerrigan’s Indigo was a formally innovative, refreshingly colourful musical about a fractured family. And this year, two new British musicals are enjoying overlapping runs in Leicester. Rob Madge and Pippa Cleary’s Bank of Dave: The Musical has just finished in the main house, and now, following an earlier version at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2023, Public the Musical is playing in the Studio. Written by Hannah Sands, Kyla Stroud, Natalie Stroud and Olivia Zacharia (and created by Stroud & Notes), Public the Musical is a promising, funny four-hander about (and probably most appealing to) Gen-Zs discovering their purpose and identities in life.

Trapped in a public bathroom with no phone signal or hope of getting out, four strangers confront each other and themselves. We have Zo (Grace Towning), a champagne-socialist on her way to a protest whilst being bankrolled by the bank of Mum and Dad; there’s Laura (Cole Dennis), who’s too-polite exterior is covering a bed of 11^th hour nerves about their wedding; Finley (Ivano Turco), whose anxiety makes him anti-social and seems to have made him stuck in a dead-end job; and Andrew (Matt Corner), an insensitive city banker with humble beginnings. Four very different people stuck in a confined setting makes for a perfect dramatic conceit, a crucible in which the writers can develop contrasting characters and bounce them off each other, work together and, ultimately, bond. The concept easily grabs an audience and, considering its simplicity, the characters are easy to spend 90 minutes with as an audience. A part of me didn’t believe they would ever walk into such a grotty public toilet in the first place but musicals are all about suspending your disbelief, right?

Being in a pressured environment (impressively realised by Amy Jane Cook), they’re initially prone to antagonism. Andrew’s ignorance over Laura’s pronouns (they’re non-binary) annoys Zo (more so than Laura) who has him marked as a chauvinist who only cares about his precious bike locked up outside. He has her outward displays of progressivism (she’s dressed as a bee) pegged as being shallow. He also judge’s Finley’s job at a pizza place and perhaps mistakes his anxiety for apathy. And Laura is so passive they haven’t mentioned they’re due to get married tomorrow. The title’s double meaning cleverly refers to the idea of a public persona we’re comfortable presenting. In a public setting, we’re all the more aware of this persona, giving us the opportunity to generate, curate or hide our ‘true’ selves. And for the most part Public articulates these interests successfully. It’s interested in the assumptions we make based on first impressions. For instance, Zo’s defensive over-protection of Laura leads her to berate Andrew but her efforts occasionally crack showing her own prejudices and naiveties underneath. These exchanges are telling windows into the musical’s interest into the complex world of navigating identity in the contemporary world. The book is often funny, and captures the phrases, rhythms and anxieties of young people today as refreshingly as Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.

What’s frustrating, then, is that, given the musical’s resistance for easy answers, Public is occasionally let down by characterisation which is too broadly drawn. Despite giving fine performances, we never really know much about Finley because he has a tendency to (literally and otherwise) lock himself away. The musical form gives an opportunity to dig deeper, and his song ‘Nervous Disposition’ is one of the stand outs of the show. It gives Turco an opportunity present Finley’s inner self and how he’s working through some issues, but that isn’t really advanced much further after that early song. Likewise, with Andrew, we get that he’s not as shallow as we first glimpse but his true depths remain murky. This is exacerbated by the start of his solo number ‘Missing Pieces’ starting in such a high register it (perhaps purposefully) doesn’t seem to fit his character. This is perhaps a tell-tale sign the writers are still developing their crafts. Similarly, a running joke about syphilis struck me as oddly unfaithful to some of the characters’ personalities.

The songs are solidly performed by a cast of four who have all racked up an impressive amount of experience in their careers so far. This experience shows and they make the songs sound as if they’re an established part of the canon.  The best songs advance character and Turco’s ‘Nervous Disposition’ and Towning’s ‘Harder to Chew’ are standouts for this reason. Others such as ‘Graffiti’ in which characters riff off the scrawling on the bathroom tiles (lucky Tom!) provide frothier moments. For me, Public is still at a stage of pop song cycle rather than providing narrative momentum. However, this new musical is a welcome addition to keep the form moving forward and showcasing future talents.

Public the Musical runs at Curve, Leicester until 13^th June.

(L-R) Matt Corner (Andrew), Grace Towning (Zo), Cole Dennis (Laura) and Ivano Turco (Finley) in Public the Musical. Credit: Mark Senior

Sunny Afternoon

 

Curve, Leicester

21^st April 2026

“Complicated sells”

Some may have found it odd that Ray Davies won an Olivier Award in 2015 for Outstanding Achievement in Music for songs he’d mostly written 50 years earlier. But those songs are so catchy, so ingrained in people’s memories that they’ve achieved longevity. Whether it’s the hard rock sound of the opening chords in hits like ‘You Really Got Me’ or the specifically English and elegiac lyrics of songs like ‘Waterloo Sunset’, Ray Davies is undeniably worthy of that Outstanding Achievement in Music honour. So much so that the musical treatment was perhaps inevitable, and Davies’ and Joe Penhall’s 2014 musical Sunny Afternoon went on to win the Olivier for Best New Musical. That original production, first staged at Hampstead Theatre, has been remounted for a new tour, currently playing at Leicester’s Curve Theatre.

Penhall’s book charts the humble North London roots of the Davies’ brothers, The Kinks’ early success and their uneasy rise to fame, and personal and professional fallings out along the way. It’s a classic rags-to-riches narrative that’s nothing new in musical theatre. For those who have seen Beautiful:The Carole King Musical, MJ the Musical, TINA – the Tina TurnerMusical, The Cher Show, Jersey Boys and plenty of others will be familiar with the arc. But what sets The Kinks’ story apart is that the band are charged by a fiery fraternal relationship and distinctly English and quirky sensibility. Edward Hall’s sunny production opens with the old guard: a version of the band in their infancy playing backing music to upper middle-class parties with a Toff frontman. ‘Fuck this’ one of them cries and they break through to the front of the stage with that raw rock sound. It’s a theatrical ‘setting the scene’ which establishes the change in the culture in the 60s: the end of deference, a burgeoning new generation coming into its own as the country was still thawing from the war. We hear how the band came up with that hard rock opening riff by slashing a speaker to make a shattering, audience-rattling sound which defines a band and an era: cutting edge, edgy and hopeful. Early tensions with managers, record companies and producers come from their sound, image and even their name being shaped in a way which isn’t natural for them. Comparisons to The Beatles, The Who and The Rolling Stones partly caused these with a view from the managers to try and emulate their success. But ultimately doing their own thing, capturing a sense of home, specifically London, is what works for The Kinks: ‘I’ve been stuck in England, writing songs about England’. Penhall shapes this journey coherently and it’s clearly an area he’s interested in. In his 2018 play Mood Music, a singer-songwriter and her interfering producer showed how artistic and professional differences can arise when so-called experts intervene. In Sunny Afternoon, those external problems come from suspect financial agreements, union membership and a disastrous early tour in the US which also contributed to setting them apart from the other ‘British Invasion’ bands. Songs are interwoven throughout, either played by the band as if on Top of the Pops or at a live gig, or (more effective in my opinion) incorporated more introspectively and personally in the book scenes.

It may not be breaking new ground in musical theatre, but what really makes Sunny Afternoon stand out is its execution. Dave Davies swinging from a chandelier, bloody fights, a Vespa, champagne sprayed into the audience and an accomplished actor-muso cast give the show the energy at which The Kinks strived. This creates some wonderful set pieces against the backdrop of Miriam Buether’s wall of speakers. And the musicianship of the band and cast is off the charts. Danny Horn as Ray Davies captures his more thoughtful energy, Oliver Hoare shows Dave Davies’ edgier, doing-his-own-thing vibe. Zakarie Stokes as Mick Avory has a brilliant second act drum solo which reminded me of Miles Teller in Whiplash. And Harry Curley as the somewhat reluctant bassist Pete Quaife has a hilarious anxious energy. It’s good to see some of the original cast in supporting roles returning too, such as Tam Williams and Ben Caplan. The cast love the show just as much as some devoted Kinks fans in the audience. And for those who don’t know much about The Kinks, like me, you’ll be fans by the time ‘Lola’ plays out at the curtain call.

Sunny Afternoon plays at Curve, Leicester until 25^th April as part of a UK tour. For more information, please visit https://uk.thekinksmusical.com/

Danny Horn as Ray Davies and Oliver Hoare as Dave Davies in Sunny Afternoon. Credit: Manuel Harlan

Kiss of the Spider Woman

 

7^th April 2026

Curve, Leicester

 

‘Good times are coming our way […]

Viva la revolucion!’

 

It is perhaps no surprise that few have tried to mount new productions of Kander and Ebb’s Kiss of the Spider Woman. A musical adaptation of Manuel Puig’s 1976 postmodern labyrinthine novel covering themes of sexuality, gender, politics and state torture – all cut through the lens of Hollywood fantasy – is a tough sell. Yet, done right, it is a richly rewarding venture, juxtaposing glamour and grime, frivolity and fascism, all bound by an unlikely love story that is both intimate and expansive. Paul Foster’s production (the first major revival since premiering in the early 90’s) is a modest affair, small in scale, but offering a new angle on the narrative that uses the intimacy of Curve’s studio space to emphasise the claustrophobic setting of the Argentinian prison cell.

Political prisoner Valentin (George Blagden) is thrown in a cell with the whimsical Molina (Fabian Soto Pacheco), who is in the middle of serving a sentence for ‘corrupting a minor’. In pairing these disparate characters, the warden hopes that Molina will convince Valentin to give up his secrets and reveal the plans of his revolutionary comrades. Initially antagonistic, the duo slowly bond through shared suffering (beatings, poisonings, sleep deprivation), small acts of kindness, and Molina’s retelling of the films of his glamourous movie-star heroine, Aurora (Anna-Jane Casey).

While by no means Kander and Ebb’s most memorable score, there is a pleasant mix of latin-infused up-tempo numbers (‘Where You Are’, ‘Let’s Make Love’), tender ballads (‘Dear One’, ‘You Could Never Shame Me’), and rousing crescendos (‘Day After That’). Terrence McNally’s book does a commendable job of condensing Puig’s novel, and while some things suffer slightly in translation – for example the ambiguous, dream-like ending created by Puig is some of the most achingly beautiful prose; not to mention the intertextuality offered by Puig’s extensive use of footnotes on everything from Freud, to Marxism, and gender identity – McNally and co’s creation of a central figure (Aurora/The Spider Woman) to encompass all of Molina’s hopes, fears, desires and memories is ingenious. This personification makes up for the loss of the majority of the movie narratives from the source material. Instead, we have dazzling song and dance numbers from Aurora which offer glittering commentary on real-life scenarios. A particular highlight features Molina and Valentin playing supporting roles in Aurora’s film Flame of St. Petersburg, which slickly foreshadows the show’s denouement.

David Woodward makes the most of Curve’s small studio space with a two-tier set of scaffold, cell bars and metal grating, evoking the brutal, grey reality of prison life under fascist regime. This allows Andrzej Goulding’s video projections to shine, transporting us to another world through flickering reels, movie title cards and intense close ups of Aurora’s face. As I mentioned previously, Foster has made the most of this small scale production to highlight the intimacies of the text. As such, the central performances are faultless, and being up close and personal allows the audience to see every nuanced motion. Anna-Jane Casey proves herself again to be a triple-threat juggernaut, belting out note perfect numbers while performing high-energy routines without breaking a sweat. Casey relishes her dual role, hamming it up as the melodramatic Aurora in her many starring roles, while transforming into a genuinely creepy presence as the titular Spider Woman, the personification of death itself. George Blagden’s Valentin is strong and grounded, masculine without being overbearing, and his soaring tenor voice lends itself perfectly to the chill-inducing call-to-arms, ‘Day After That’. Rounding off the central trio, Fabian Soto Pacheco gives a star-making turn as the tragic Molina. Pacheco uses his whole being in bringing Luis to life; every placed hand and every arched eyebrow giving us an insight into the character. He is flamboyant, sympathetic, at times frustrating, and utterly memorable. The main cast are supported by a small yet flawless ensemble, who all get their moment to impress. In short, Foster’s production is well worth a visit for the indefatigable performances alone, which are on a par with some of the best I’ve seen.

Kiss of the Spider Woman is an extraordinary tale in all its variations and while I can see it may not be to everyone’s taste, at heart it is a tale about love and hope in its many forms. Familial love, romantic love, sexual love, patriotic love, radical love, artistic love. The narrative is dark and brutal, yet during the finale, when Molina sings of ‘optimistic endings’ this is only ironic on a superficial level. What the audience has just witnessed is definitely not ‘optimistic’, yet Puig and McNally’s message is one of hope, no matter how small the glimmer – where there is love, where there is passion, there is hope. The very act of changing, as our protagonists do over the course of the show, is in itself an act of hope, in spite of, or maybe because of our hero’s final sacrificial act. This chamber piece production is somewhat of a hidden gem, which thoroughly deserves a wider audience.

 

Kiss of the Spider Woman plays at Curve, Leicester until 25^th April before playing at the Bristol Old Vic from 29^th April – 16^th May, and the Southampton MAST Mayflower Studios from 2^nd – 6^th June.

Fabian Soto Pacheco, Anna-Jane Casey and George Blagden
in Kiss of the Spider Woman
Credit: Marc Brenner

Mamma Mia!

 

Curve, Leicester

Tuesday 24^th March, 2026

 

‘Thank you for the music’

 

There’s no denying that the world is in a strange place at the moment; multiple wars, controversial political leaders, and a cost-of-living crisis like none seen before. Watching international events unfold can make it seem as though there is little to be joyful about at present. So now, more than ever, we need a little escapism. And Mamma Mia! is just the slice of cheesy sunshine to counter the doom and gloom of daily life. The show bursts with energy, laughter and stonking great music; it’s the epitome of feel-good.

Surrounded by the rustic idyll of a small Greek island, young Sophie hatches a plan to reunite her mother with the three men that may or may not be her father in time for her wedding. Friendship, romance, family bonds and second chances are explored and celebrated in delightfully pop-tastic style, while maintaining a very British sense of humour. The ABBA jukebox musical is over 25 years old now, and feels fresh yet timeless thanks to its simple storytelling and unpretentious production. Catherine Johnson’s book and Phyllida Lloyd’s direction let the relationships between characters lead the plot, fostering infectious camaraderie (who wouldn’t want to be friends with Donna and co?) and erring just on the right side of sentimentality. Amid all this, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus’ songs shine. Every number is a certified banger and the music has been carefully curated to fit the action, whether in heartfelt earnestness (‘Slipping Through My Fingers’), sucker-punching accuracy (‘The Winner Takes It All’) or tongue-in-cheek glee (‘Chiquitita’).

The simplicity of the story and production also lets the cast shine as they jive their way through party-like ensemble numbers such as ‘Voulez-Vous’ and the post-curtain Mega-Mix, while also allowing each individual character their moment in the spotlight. Jenn Griffin makes for a naturalistic and unassuming Donna, who’s down-to-earth nature occasionally gives way to full on power-belting diva mode. Rosie Glossop and Sarah Earnshaw provide fine comedic support as Donna’s loyal friends Rosie and Tanya, and the latter’s cougarish rendition of ‘Does Your Mother Know?’ is a real highlight. The younger cast also impress, in particular Lydia Hunt excels at imbuing Sophie with a strong will and youthful sass.

I’m struggling to think of other shows that are filled with as much unadulterated fun; Lloyd, Johnson, Andersson and Ulvaeus have created a gleefully giddy bop of a musical. The atmosphere was electric, the audience ecstatic and united in their jubilant reaction, and this current tour demonstrates why the show continues to be a sure-fire hit across the world. 25 years on from its premier, Mamma Mia! exemplifies the old adage, ‘if it ain’t broke…’, audiences know exactly what to expect when booking tickets, and for a bit of much-needed comfort viewing that is no bad thing at all. For a dose of bottled-joy and a tonic to everything else going on in the world right now you really can’t get any better.

 

Mamma Mia! plays at Curve until 29^th March 2026.

For full tour details please visit: MAMMA MIA! International Tour | The Global Smash Hit

Sarah Earnshaw, Jenn Griffin and Rosie Glossop in Mamma Mia!
Credit: Brinkhoff/Mögenburg

Inside American Pie

 3^rd March, 2026

Curve, Leicester

“Still getting together in rooms like these”

Somewhere at the back of my mind was the bit of music trivia that Don McLean’s 1971 global hit ‘American Pie’ is about the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly in 1959. But, even with the very singable chorus, I hadn’t properly considered the lyrics to any of the song and its six verses. Luckily, that’s where a small theatre company from Prince Edward Island on the east coast of Canada comes in. Mike Ross and Sarah Wilson of Harmony House, based in a community with a population of about 400, have devised the enchanting Inside American Pie, part-concert, part-documentary which provides a deep-dive into the lyrics, the man behind them, and the musical sensibilities of the era. Borne out of the pandemic, the show has become a hit in Canada where’s it’s played several successful summer runs in P.E.I. and also in Toronto. Thankfully, it was here that the artistic team at Curve spotted it and, with the help of Mirvish Productions, it’s now making its European premiere in Leicester.

Co-Creator Mike Ross, playing an upright piano, sings the first verse of the song before (teasingly) taking a step back to tell us the story of the horrific plane crash that inspired it (also killed were The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens). With the initial inspiration now within our knowledge, we hear those lyrics again, this time spoke line by line, and their meaning becomes clear. Ross occasionally goes back to magnify his focus on certain words or lines. His unshowy, matter-of-fact delivery is part of the charm, leaving the emotion of McLean’s words do the talking. We hear Wiki-style bits of history behind the lyrics of lines such as “I can't remember if I cried/ When I read about his widowed bride” referring to Holly’s pregnant widow (who turns 94 this year). But, more interestingly, we hear Ross’ interpretation of more opaque phrases. Is McLean’s teenage chronic bronchitis behind the spoonerism ‘broncin’ buck’? Could the line actually be ‘drinkin’ whiskey in Rye’ referring to a place in New York? Might a reference to Lenin actually be referring to John Lennon? These digressions lend a greater depth to the song’s intrigue and is a reminder that music is subjective.

Peppered through the show are carefully selected songs from that era. Some like the opener ‘Come On, Let’s Go’ by Valens and a later number ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ by The Rolling Stones help to tell the story, placing us in a specific time and place. But others are more evocative of mood, helping to paint a picture of changing social movements and musical tastes. ‘Imagine’, beautifully sung Brielle Ansems and arranged by Ross, is a good example of this. Bob Dylan’s ‘The Times They are A-Changin’’ speaks to a wider theme of change. ‘American Pie’, more than just about a plane crash and the effect that had on McLean as a teenager, is about nostalgia and change. It represents a shift from the innocent 1950s to darker times. The way Ross and Wilson build that picture thematically and musically through fairly prosaic storytelling and using just one song as a jumping off point is impressive.

The show is musically exhilarating. A cast of five singer-musicians including Ross, Ansems, Alicia Toner, Greg Gale and Kirk White bring the songs to life. It has the electric feel of a music gig but has a cunning theatricality. At one point, Ross puts on some glasses and, with his blue jacket, I couldn’t help but picture Buddy Holly. This is probably unintentional, but speaks to a bigger effect of Inside American Pie in that it subtly evokes such images and reflections whilst you’re sat there having a great time. And a great time you’ll surely have!

Inside American Pie plays at Curve, Leicester until 14^th March. For more information, please visit https://www.curveonline.co.uk/whats-on/shows/inside-american-pie/

Mike Ross in Inside American Pie. Credit: Dahlia Katz