Gird your loins and dust off your chicest cerulean garb: The Devil Wears Prada has strutted its way onto the West End.
The 2006 comedy-drama movie retains a legion of fans nearly twenty years on, with a sequel reportedly on the horizon. This leaves the musical — with a book by Kate Wetherhead, lyrics by Shaina Taub & Mark Sonnenblick, and music by Elton John — with big stilettos to fill. Its first iteration in Chicago back in 2022 received middling reviews, which begs the question: has its London premiere had enough of a glow up to earn a place amongst the theatre A-list?
If you’ve seen the movie, I don’t need to summarise the plot — little has changed. If you haven’t seen the movie (in which case, fix that immediately), here’s the gist. In the bustling metropolis of New York we meet Andy (Georgie Buckland, in her West End debut), a writer who can’t catch a break. Having suffered the blows of one too many interview rejections, she changes tack and interviews for a position at fashion magazine Runway.
While Andy views Runway as a vapid glossy mag, it’s a religion for many, and their goddess is Editor-In-Chief Miranda Priestly (Vanessa Williams). After displaying a refreshingly no-nonsense work ethic to Miranda, Andy lands a job as her assistant — much to her own bemusement and that of fellow devoted assistant Emily (Amy Di Bartolomeo).
She quickly discovers that working under Miranda isn’t just a job, but a lifestyle. This forces her to confront tough questions about what is truly important to her and how her changing priorities are affecting her relationship with live-in boyfriend Nate (Rhys Whitfield).
The movie’s plot easily translates to the stage, and Wetherhead’s book weaves in plenty of its most famous lines. But while fans will be pleased to see their favourite scenes brought here at the Dominion Theatre, the action whizzes by so rapidly that some focal moments feel underwhelming, particularly when compared to the movie — which is impossible not to do when it’s so similar.
A clear example is the first appearance of Ms Priestly, during the catchy number ‘House of Miranda’. While Williams’s ascent through the floor receives a rapturous applause, there’s not much of a build up to her entrance, which feels like a wasted opportunity with such a notorious character. Similarly, the reveal that Andy has landed the job after a seemingly disastrous interview happens far too quickly for us to feel all that shocked.
Other pivotal scenes thankfully exude much more grandeur, such as the final scene of Act One which takes place at the Met Gala. Here we see on stage the giant staircase that pop culture has come to associate with the Met Gala, adorned with models appearing in an exquisite array of gowns.
There’s no way to discuss The Devil Wears Prada without talking about the costumes. Gregg Barnes gives us everything we’d want and more from a high-budget musical about fashion, from breathtaking gowns to sumptuously chic office wear in the hallowed halls of Runway.
Tim Hatley’s scenic design equally brings the drama, with impressive set pieces frequently moving on and off the stage to envelope us in this world. There’s a particularly crowd-pleasing moment in Act Two when a giant, twinkling replica of the Eiffel Tower appears on stage to transport us to the glamorous streets of Paris.
The sheen of the production is matched by the calibre of performances. Buckland brings powerful yet vulnerable vocals to her portrayal of Andy, bringing enough sparky wit to the role to make us understand why she manages to keep her position at Runway against all odds.
Di Bartolomeo is brilliant as Emily, the stylish Surrey girl itching to make it big in the fashion world. From her first appearance — getting on stage pre-show to berate talkers and sweet unwrapper-ers while praising coughers (because, attention-seeking) — Di Bartolomeo is a total scene-stealer, and you can see she’s having fun devouring every word and heel click.
As the highly publicised face of the show, Williams brings an easy polish to the role of Miranda, getting a particularly delicious solo moment in Act Two’s ‘Stay On Top’. However, it’s hard not to compare her to Meryl Streep in the movie — Streep’s performance did garner an Oscar nomination, after all. Williams’s Miranda feels decidedly less icy and much more sympathetic. While this may have been a considered directorial choice by Jerry Mitchell, I found myself craving more venom from Miranda to justify Andy’s terrified devotion to her.
Matt Henry gets a small but mighty role as Nigel, who offers comic relief and a glorious makeover scene in Act One. But where Henry really gets to shine is Act Two, where we discover his back story in emotive ballad ‘Seen’, which showcases his spectacular vocals in a magnetic performance.
Now, onto the music. With Elton John attached, the expectations were always going to be high, but the score as a whole never quite reaches them. There are some very fun numbers sprinkled throughout — namely ‘Dress Your Way Up’ in the makeover scene and Emily’s raucous Act Two opener ‘Bon Voyage’ — but these are all too often sandwiched in between forgettable songs that add little to the comedy or drama.
The aforementioned Met Gala scene, for example, is an absolute treat for the eyes, but less so for the ears, with title song ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ feeling jarringly lackluster when paired with such a visual spectacle.
Final song ‘What’s Right For Me?’ also falls disappointingly flat with generic lyrics and comparatively barren staging. If any musical deserves a big flashy closing number with a sequin-clad ensemble, it’s this — and if any songwriter is capable of writing such a number, it’s Elton John.
This isn’t to say The Devil Wears Prada isn’t entertaining, however. It’s a show clearly crafted with fans of the original film in mind, and as someone who firmly sits within that camp, I found myself smiling and enjoying myself throughout — you can’t truly bemoan a lack of substance when you’re getting this much style.
Glossier than a Louboutin red bottom, The Devil Wears Prada offers a fun night out for movie devotees. It just needs some tailoring before it’s a perfect musical theatre fit.
Reviewer: Olivia Cox
Reviewed: 4th December 2024
North West End UK Rating: