Made In Dagenham

With an established British actress as the lead and a revolutionary story to tell, Made in Dagenham looked to have all the potential of reaching memorable heights. Alas in reality, I believe it fell-​short and landed middle-​of-​the-​road. Allow me to tell you why… the staging (which was by far the most creative aspect of the show) was remarkable but not quite spectacular; Gemma Arterton’s performance was believable but not quite outstanding, especially as she was outshone by some of the more experienced professional singers; the music was noticeably generic at times, to the extent that my mind was automatically matching the melodies up to other (better) songs; and the lyrics and rhythms felt rather slap-​dash in places, neither here nor there. However, there is some humorous dancing, a couple of good songs, a jolly demeanour amongst all the cast and generally a positive vibe throughout that makes it pleasant enough to watch. Warning: this show does (to my surprise) contain the most swearing I have ever seen on stage; in fact it is pretty much crude all the way through.

Actually a lot better than you might think.
With the recent spout of big West End Musicals flopping, I honestly hope that this one doesn’t as it is very good and well worth a visit.
Based on the film of the same name, Made in Dagenham dramatists the story of the Ford sewing machinists strike of 1968 which helped change the face of equal rights and equal pay for women in the work place and led to the Equal Pay Act of 1970.
Gemma Arterton plays the lead role but is heavily supported and sometimes, quite rightly, outshone by a fantastic female chorus, and in fact male chorus at times too! The show is very funny, and uses the comedy well but doesn’t lose the heart of the piece as the issues become more poignant. As Gemma’s character Rita let’s the fight for equal pay take over her life, the flip side of how her husband and children, and the other men in the factory, are affected is sensitively brought in to view and it is the husband Eddie, played by the very talented Adrian see Gregorian, who steps forward to sing the first big ballad of the piece. A pleasant twist to the usual stereotype of the female lead taking on such a piece, and relevant to the issues I thought.
There is an incredible amount of swearing in the piece, mainly for the character Connie played by Isla Blair who is hilarious (not one for the children I suspect) but it is in no way gratuitous or gaudy. It simply reflects the culture and the time.
The music is very well written, a few fantastic numbers all with a hint on the 60’s but never over done, always just establishing the era. The staging is also creative and well put together. There is a terrible American number when the owner of Ford comes to England which is a bit gratuitous but you can have it all. A highlight would also have been a song sung by Barbara Castle (an MP who was pivotal in bringing about the Equal Pay Act in parliament), at least until the last note which was a little unsettled, putting it nicely!
Gemma Arterton is really only a name but don’t let her mediocre performance spoil the show for you. She acts it fine, her singing is ok for someone untrained, certainly not a developed voice, and it is clear that some of the chorus have had to step up to fill some of the trickier vocal licks but I can say that the piece was fun and thought provoking.
I can’t say that I was bowled over by this musical but it is well done and deserves a good stint in the West end.
If it is something that grabs you def don’t let it slip you by just in case it does indeed get dragged into the pit of doom that so many new musicals (some deserved, some under served) have fallen into recently.
Xyz