Why do only fools and horses work? Well, perhaps Del Boy and Rodney can answer that as Britain's most beloved market traders ride again...
Can a much-beloved vintage comedy survive transferring from the small screen to the stage, and with a whole new cast? And the answer is yes.
Only Fools and Horses: The Musical arrives in Nottingham after its sellout success in the West End. The plot strands are secondary to the laughs and the sheer homage to the TV show. But they involve a wedding, a wad of cash borrowed from the Peckham mafia, and a blind date where both parties are lying through their teeth.
Sam Lupton as Del Boy captures the audience’s hearts. Rather than simply impersonate David Jason, he makes the role his own while keeping the character true to the original.
Tom Major plays Rodney, (Nicholas Lyndhurst on the telly) in his professional debut. His first ever paid gig and already topping the bill. Not bad for a newcomer! He too excels as the dumb but well-meaning youngest Trotter.
All the old favourites are here
All the old favourites are here: Grandad, Trigger, Raquel, Cassandra, Boycie and Marlene. Even Uncle Albert puts in a last-minute appearance. And they are all hilarious.
Yes, it is a musical as much as a comedy. The theme tune bounces through the production, and there is a repertoire of catchy new numbers. Even the odd old time music hall ditty comes up, for those of us old enough to remember them.
The set rotates between the Peckham street market, the Trotters flat and the Nag’s Head pub, each scene decorated in loving detail.
The jokes come thick and fast and the theatregoers were in stitches. The humour is very London-centric at times but nobody seems put off by that.
So, an evening of TV nostalgia, Peckham revisited so to speak. Laughs, songs, dance routines, and the odd teary-eyed moment. Lubbly jubbly.
Only Fools and Horses: The Musical plays and the Royal Concert Hall from Monday 21st of April to Saturday 26th of April 2025.
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