★★★★✩
The legend of Dave Fishwick stands tall for the people of Burnley in Lancashire, and is indeed a glowing life lesson for the rest of the country. Now this champion of the underdog has his own stage show - Bank Of Dave The Musical which has its world premiere at the fittingly northern Lowry Theatre in Salford.
Based on the screenplay of the hit 2023 movie, the team of Rob Madge and Pippa Cleary (who were behind the mega success of Madge's own life journey My Son's A Queer, But What Can You Do?) have taken the core of that screen version and moulded it for the stage. Bringing with it a whole load of song and dance numbers and jokes about bankers.
For those that do not know the tale, Dave Fishwick runs a successful van company in Burnley but finds that others are struggling with loans for businesses. He decides to lend money to these people to fund their business aspirations, and eventually hits on the idea to start his own bank with affordable repayments with any profits going to local charities. However first he has to get accreditation to be the first new UK bank in 150 years from the suits in London. And that is where the trouble starts. They don't want a working class boy from the North wading in on their territory, and a dirty tricks campaign is set in motion. But they have not factored in one thing: Dave Fishwick!
This heartwarming tale of philanthropy is celebrated to the full in this new musical. Director Nikolai Foster (whose CV reads like a A-Z of British theatre) was raised in North Yorkshire, so directs this comedy with direct northern humour and grit that is so associated with the region. Despite containing every northern cliche ever, the characters leap off the stage. No more so than Sam Lupton as Dave himself. We last saw Sam giving his Del Boy Trotter in the Only Fools & Horses musical, and here he commands the stage with the energy, gab and larger than life persona that has made the real version a force of nature. From curtain up to curtain call, Sam is the beating heart of this story and its a star performance.
However this show is all about the ensemble too. Hayley Tamaddon is Nicky, Dave's wife and often the voice of reason to his wild schemes. Hayley has a fantastic voice and is full of Burnley warmth. Musical legend Claire Moore (can it really be 40 years ago we saw her as Sarah Brightman's alternate Christine in The Phantom Of The Opera?) plays Maureen, local landlady and with a secret that will play out as the show goes on. Lucca Chadwick-Patel has the important role of lawyer Hugh, sent from his London firm with instructions to let Dave down gently as he tries to start his bank. Patel's lovely fish(wick)-out-of-water performance as he arrives in Burnley is delightful. A Southerner caught in the headlights of the oncoming North. Lauryn Redding meanwhile gives a fire and brimstone performance of local NHS nurse Alex, fed up with the system which doesn't allow her to give the care she knows the people of Burnley deserve. Again Lauryn is another fine vocal talent. Samuel Holmes is the odious Sir Charles Denbigh, and his solo rap 'Rich Boys Club' takes us to the seedy world of priviledge and entitlement. Every show needs a villain and Holmes makes sure he plays it to the hilt.
Musically its a strong score, perhaps no hit song earworms on first listen, but if we get as far as a cast album further down the line, the songs will doubtless be growers. We particularly liked the song where the Sat Nav questions Hugh's decision to drive beyond the M25! Set and Costume designer Amy Jane Cook has come up with a versatile staging which quickly takes us from offices in Docklands to a pub in Burnley, covering all points in between. There is some lovely projection too, which is subtly done and doesn't overwhelm the live experience before our eyes. Design wise its a triumph.
Just like the movies, its a feel good battle of the social stratas. There's no doubt there is room for some trimming, but its lovely to welcome a new British musical that celebrates one of our great eccentrics something of a national treasure.
We'll follow the future progress of Bank Of Dave The Musical with great interest, and hope that audiences around Britain get to see this one of a kind story for themselves.
Rob & Ian
Further information about the show can be found at the BANK OF DAVE MUSICAL WEBSITE.
Normally we would offer a suggestion of a cast album but as there is none available, why not delve into Dave's best selling book telling the full story of his battle with the banks.
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