The bizarre yet compelling 2023 court case of Gwyneth Paltrow vs retired optometrist Terry Sanderson over a skiing accident has made its way on to the stage in this hilariously camp and, ahem, highly accurate musical version of courtroom events.
Starring Diana Vickers as Gwyneth, Marc Antolin as Terry, Tori Allen-Martin as attorney Kristin, and Idriss Kargbo as judge Jude, it's an absolute dream of a cast to trial this new show before it heads to the Edinburgh Fringe.
While it is loosely based on the real court case, the fact that it involves Paltrow, whose long and varied career and choice range of products offers lots of material for the writers to draw upon. As such, no element is left untouched as the smart, funny, and catchy songs affectionately lampoon many of the A-lister's iconic moments and quotes.
There's a bit of back and forth between Gwyneth and Terry as they each take the stand, with the former not exactly 'grilled' by the attorney who desperately wants to befriend the Hollywood star. It's all rounded off neatly at the end with the show's title song, which is a sure-fire belter by the way.
All four cast members were brilliant. Diana Vickers and Tori Allen-Martin blew me away with their incredible vocals (having last seen Vickers on X-Factor many years ago singing in a distinctly breathy style, I was pleasantly surprised by her strong voice). Marc Antolin excelled in the most comedic of the roles, while Idriss Kargbo added some panache with both sassy and eye-watering dance moves.
Ultimately, it's a show which captures a zeitgeist, but whether it's one to stand the test of time, the jury's very much out. On this evidence however, it does at least serve as a wonderfully hilarious showcase for the abilities of the show's writers, Roger Dipper and Rick Pearson, as well as the very talented company. I Wish You Well continues at Norwich Playhouse until 28 July, before transferring to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
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