Back to the Future the Musical - Opera House MCR / Adelphi

SLIGHT exaggeration there! The set tonight didn’t almost burn down, there was a small, contained (planned) fire on Doc’s model of Hill Valley just like the same scene in the movie, but Bart & Dobson couldn’t find the fire extinguisher to put it out on set so a stage manager came on and pulled it out of a drawer. Seemed unplanned to me, but it could be a “You’re Timeless To Me” style planned corpse.

Enjoyed the first preview this evening. It’s not a great musical, but it’s a phenomenal spectacle. The sequence where Marty drives towards the Clock Tower at 88mph as the lightning hits is probably the most technically brilliant and filmic things I’ve ever seen on stage. And the final appearance of the Delorean at the end of the show is just incredible.

The musical numbers feel like they get in the way though. Scenes are played in parallel to the movie (with some changes) and then they’re bookended by forgettable songs which often halt the story. The songs from the movie fare better as they’re mainly part of the plot, and the orchestrated incidental music from the original soundtrack is wonderfully done and timed perfectly with scenes and action. I can’t help but feel they maybe didn’t need this to be a musical. Back to the Future: Live on Stage could have worked better with the focus on the incredible stunts and special effects they’re pulling off live on stage because in my opinion that’s the real selling point - and the reason to see this show.

I am so pleased I got my tickets. To me it was amazing. I’m not going into should it be a play or musical as it was just great fun. I loved the start and how the theatre had been done out. The audience were cheering every time seminal moments from the film happened, Marty and Doc were fantastic but I would have to agree the real star of the show is the amazing spectacle of it. The final scene just made me feel I was part of the film and it certainly had some of the best effects I have seen on stage. No it’s not a Hamilton or Les Mis but there also needs to be shows like this. I don’t think I stopped smiling for the whole show!

The proscenium for this looks spectacular - the circuit boardery effects stretch out to include the boxes too.

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Please spoiler tag, if answering this. Thank you!

Can anyone tell if they made any changes from Manchester?

Well, I really enjoyed it!
It's certainly not the perfect "musical" by any means but as far as a good "show" goes, it really delivers and is great fun.
Olly Dobson in particular is brilliant as Marty

Probably one of the most technical shows and elaborate sets/effects we've had in the West End - ever. The blend of physical/digital works very well for the most part. The finale effect - magical.

True but shows like that don't happen often these days. Sets, costumes and special effects are often dismissed on here as unimportant which is unfair as they form a very talented and innovative part of the industry.

I don't mind an average score (long as it isn't boring) if the show is offering something else in the form of interest and excitement. For me the staging is just as important and part of the reason I got into theatre, it's often where the magic of live theatre is.

At a time when shows seem to be getting cheaper and scaled back its exiting to see shows offering some spectacle and wow moments. Whether that's something big like a flying car or more traditional stage magic. Especially when you consider how much tickets have gone up by.

Yes we’ve had flying cars, but what BTTF accomplishes with the Delorean is above and beyond what CCBB did. No one’s taking away the technical accomplishments of the past, but this show is one which enhances and grows on those. Here it’s not “just” a flying car, it’s a car that does a hell of a lot more during the 2 hour 40 minutes runtime and THEN flies (and even then does more than “just” that). They’re really pushing the envelope with what is technically possible on stage in a cinematic way, and whilst (in my opinion) the musical isn’t the strongest, its technical and visual sides deserve the plaudits.

And every time Chitty/Mary/Elphaba flies - it’s still magical .

Such a disappointing show. Amazing effects, as has been mentioned, but they feel so wasted. I can't remember a single lyric or melody, and I only left the theatre less than an hour ago. I'd give it two and a half stars, and that feels generous. Everyone who's said it should be a play is 100% right. There's really no point to the musical numbers. I think those with an emotional connection to the film might view it more fondly, but I haven't seen it in probably 15 years and barely remember it. Which, in 15 years time, will undoubtedly be my thoughts on this depressingly forgettable musical.

Yes I think, beyond the obvious spectacle of the car, my prevailing thought leaving the show was that the dance scenes felt like an amateur production of Grease. And that you could cut all Doc's daydream sequences without consequence and shave a good 15 minutes off, which I can't see anyone complaining about.

Ta daaaahhh! Do they at least get the lovely Debbie Magee to whip it off?