Back to The Future: Review from Donna at Jigsaw Dulwich

Back to The Future is a family favourite currently showing at the Adelphi Theatre. Donna, Jigsaw Dulwich School Owner and Manager, went to see the show and shared her thoughts!

Back to The Future: Review from Donna at Jigsaw Dulwich

I do love a January visit to the theatre. This January took me (and all the family) to Back to The Future. Now, as a child in the 80s, this film is iconic for me. So this could have gone one of two ways. I had heard mixed reviews. My 13 year old had been previously (with school) and really enjoyed it. Friends my age were more mixed. When I watched Pretty Women a few years back I missed all the iconic music and I wasn’t prepared for that. But for Back to the Future I was ready.

The new music was good. It didn’t rock my world and I didn’t come away humming any of it, like I have done after watching other new musicals for the first time (like Hamilton and Wicked (a long time ago I know) but the story was enough to keep me engaged. And I was thrilled to hear Casco Emauz (actor who played Marty) belt out two of the classics – Power of Love and Johnny B Good.  In fact, Casco was excellent. I loved how he had Marty’s voice to a tea. Close your eyes and you’d picture a young Michael J Fox. Cory English (Doc Brown) also excellent.

The special effects were very good (not on a par with Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) but very good nonetheless and I loved how the whole Adelphi Theatre was Back to the Future themed. Remember that films from the 80’s often don’t age all that well and there are often themes that are not helpful for young girls in a modern society. There are a few moments like this, but no where near as bad as Grease.

Alas, I didn’t take the classic family pic just before we went in. But, when the show ended, we were spilled out onto a super pretty side street with a quaint looking pub, which I definitely would have called into (had I not had three children in tow).