We are cordially welcomed to the wedding of an eager bride-to-be, talking our seats at a wedding reception that never actually happens. Settling in for a light-hearted romcom, we receive just that – Jasmine Alice’s new musical Nearlyweds is vibrant and upbeat, packed with quirky characters and excessive puns.
Nearlyweds follows bride-to-be Lily who gets cold feet and jet sets to escape her wedding, while another husband-to-be Jake deals with repercussions of his fiancé baring his cheating habits for all his family to see. As both navigate new independence and impending fatherhood respectively, they meet through Lily’s friend and Jake’s brother Brian.
Sarah Alexandra Brown as Lily is a compelling lead – we empathise with her as she confronts her disconnected relationship with her father, grief over her mother and newfound identity for herself separate from her ex-fiancée. She is the most developed character, merited moments of vulnerability in the form of heartfelt piano ballads. The blossoming, comically wholesome relationship between ‘Brian from Accounts’ and ‘Gail from Sales’ is sweet and uplifting, with love confessions through upbeat dreamy and overly theatrical songs. Both characters are however quite one-dimensional and used mostly for comic relief, especially Brian who functions solely as the nerdy boyfriend and Jake’s brother. Aggressively masculine and shallow Jake is given moments to explore his emotions surrounding his ex-fiancée’s pregnancy, preparing for the heavy weight of fatherhood. His character however is not given much scope to develop throughout the story – although the show is constrained to a 50-minute run time, the whirlwind ending of his blossoming affection for Lily seems rushed and inconsequential.
The musical is full of upbeat and sparkling moments of comedy. Gail’s obsession with making chocolate-related puns is (although slightly overused) spirited and hilarious. Tongue-in-cheek moments addressing the romcom genre are witty and entertaining, such as Gail being fanned desperately by notebooks to imitate a heroine’s hair blowing in the wind straight out of a cheesy romcom. The ‘Daters Gonna Date’ dating show involves the sudden recruitment of a willing audience member to step in as an extra date – we witness him freestyle lines, riffing off the cast. The simple set design involves storyboarding the scenes through signs on a wedding easel, a clever way of grounding the audience and adapting to the short run-time.
The piano-based pop score ranges from bright and dazzling tunes to reflective ballads taken on with ease by a team of powerful singers. Kate Leyva’s upbeat, energising love confession number is a glistening standout track, capturing the rosy shimmer of new love.
Uplifting, entertaining and not once holding back on the puns, Nearlyweds will charm with eccentric characters and a lot of heart.
Reviewer: Juliette Pepin
Reviewed: 18th August 2025
North West End UK Rating:
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