Hannah Wicklund

Chopsticks, zoltar, and Tom Hanks. That’s all I could think about when I headed into the theatre to watch BIG the musical.  Would it work?  Would I feel too attached to one of my all time favourite childhood films and favourite actors? 

The Dominion Theatre set the scene fantastically from the off.  Not only is this theatre simply stunning, they’d kitted it out with actual Zoltar machines!  Cue photo opportunities and nostalgia before we’d even taken our seats. (And by the way, there is literally no bad seat in the design and layout of this theatre).

The show opens with the young Josh character on stage and he wowed us from the off with his fantastic voice.  The child actors are outstanding, and most definitely hold their own against their adult cast members.

Then Jay McGuiness makes his very “hmmm” memorable appearance in the tiniest costume ever, to A LOT of whooping and cheering from the audience.  His strictly come dancing skills are put to brilliant use throughout this musical, with the highlight being the “chopsticks on the piano” scene in the toy store.  Just brilliant.

Wendy Peters is great as Josh’s mum, with some emotional solo pieces, and as always, great story telling.

I have to say, Jay McGuiness was exceptional as Josh, making the part utterly believable.  He was able to play the part with the same innocence as Tom Hanks, without ever leaning towards a cringe adult trying to be a kid.  Not easy, but thoroughly executed.

There are some great numbers in this musical, especially the rip roaring cast number “Cross the line” - a real musical theatre number that pleasantly stuck in my head for days.

If you love nostalgia, feel good musicals, and just want a great night out, then BIG fits the bill.  And remember, be careful what you wish for, because wishes can come true.