Bank of Dave: Music Review – the story of a local hero turned into music | Theater

Wlike the old singer who wants to be loved, who wants not to be excluded? It’s not just a show-stopping startup, which assumes we’ve never been to a theater and insists we all hate cashiers. It is also the number of pathological references to pop-culture in Rob Madge’s book. “We’re on your side,” he seems to say, “because we’ve heard of Coronation Street, EastEnders, Cher, The Legend of ZeldaJeremy Beadle, Mamma Mia!, Dirty Dancing, Wonderwall …” The list goes on.

Insecurity is normal because Bank of Dave: The Musical is such a beautiful show. What came out of it is an interesting life story Dave Fishwick (Sam Lupton), a businessman from Burnley whose common sense allowed him to step in where others failed. When he saw the people of the town being held back due to lack of money, he decided to establish a non-profit bank to trust and respect them.

Presented as a David and Goliath battle between an old mill town and a self-styled banking sector, it’s a children’s story with a happy ending. Following the fantasy of 2023 Netflix movie, starring Rory Kinnearit has two main musical points: the group that pulls it together is the love part between a closed-off London lawyer (Lucca Chadwick-Patel) and a no-nonsense local doctor (star Lauryn Redding).

Director Nikolai Foster creates a spectacular show, like a very hot show, which goes out forever into big numbers on Amy Jane Cook’s amorphous room with its backdrop of Lancashire chimneys and the right combination of Duncan McLean’s cinematography. Pippa Cleary’s music is bright and catchy, drawing on gospel, soul, hip-hop and the Broadway golden age. A few romantic numbers slow down the pace, but for the most part, the music moves the story forward and adds to the excitement.

Like the film, the north-south divide is stark — there’s even an apology for a “southern savior story” — and honest-to-goodness people flirt with cliche. Unlike this film, it stays clean of fake news. This kind of honesty resonates with a daily show that challenges inequality while promoting the possibility of change.