Review • Western Morning News

GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN
When first staged in the West end in the 1950s, Sandy Wilson's pastiche musical comedy of the 1920s ran for a record breaking five years. Given the glorious weather it enjoyed at it's opening night, this production by the Barnes and Richmond Operatic Society could run here forever.

A superb start to the Minack Theatre's summer season, this is a Champagne production which bubbles and sparkles and is well nigh perfect.

Called upon to act, sing and dance, each of the large cast copes with at least two of these demands, some of them with all three, a higher than average for most musicals, and are excellent. The choreography and costumes are good too.

Peopled with giggling girls, 'perfect young ladies' from Madame Dubonnet's finishing school, blazered and boatered boys, all hungry for romance and matrimony, it's vocal score suggests that there is 'safety in numbers', proposes that it's Never Too Late To Fall In Love, persuades that It's Nicer In Nice, and finally convinces that one could, indeed, be happy with the Polly or Tony of one's choice.

Love is in the air and from the Charleston to the Riviera, not forgetting the Tango, beautifully performed by a couple of escapees from Come Dancing who really are something special, this is a frothy and foolish, witty and wistful tip-top, toe-tapping evening's entertainment.

A production which sends you on your way home whistling, humming or singing one of it's 14 marvellous melodies while, like the flappers in the South of France, firmly believing that you have 'got to have, plot to have, 'cos it's so dreary not to have, that certain thing called The Boy Friend'.

Frank Ruhrmund
Western Morning News

Review • The Cornishman

BUBBLE? THIS ONE POSITIVELY SPARKLED!
A huge happy Bank Holiday audience, blue seas and sky, even a golden half moon, who could wish for anything more ? A superb start to the Minack's summer season : a carnival, not to say champagne, evening. In fact 'Sur le Plage de Minack' the only worry was, would the Barnes and Richmond Operatic Society's production of 'The Boy Friend' bubble ?

In the event, it's version of Sandy Wilson's pastiche musical comedy of the 1920's - even as musicals go they don't come any more frothy or foolish than this one - was well nigh perfect and not only bubbled but sparkled. When first staged in the West End in the 1950s, the show ran for a record-breaking five years. Given the glorious weather it had on Monday, it could run at the Minack forever.

Called upon to act, sing or dance, each of the large cast copes with at least two of the demands, many of them with all three, a higher than average score, and are excellent. The choreography and costumes are good too. Peopled with giggling girls, 'Perfect Young Ladies', pupils of Madame Dubonnet's Finishing School and boatered and blazered boys, hungry for romance and matrimony - if the girl happens to be the daughter of a millionaire, and the boy the son of an English milord and milady, then so much the better - it's vocal score suggests that there is 'Safety in numbers', proposes that 'It's never too late to fall in Love', persuades that 'It's Nicer in Nice', and finally convinces that one could, indeed, be happy with the Polly or Tony of one's choice.

From the drawing room of the Villa Caprice to the terrasse of the Cafe Pataplon, there is love in the air, and from the 'Charleston' to the 'Riviera', not to mention the 'Tango' - beautifully performed by a couple of escapes from 'Come Dancing', who really are something special - this is an absurd and affectionate, witty and wistful, tip-top, toe-tapping, evening's entertainment.

A welcome, warm production, and there are not too many of them about, which sends you on your way home whistling, humming or singing, one of it's 14 marvellous melodies while, like the flappers in the South of France, firmly believing - for a few frivolous moments at least - that it is essential to have, that one has 'got to have, plot to have, 'cos it's so dreary not to have, that certain thing called, The Boy Friend'.

The Cornishman