The audience reacts to Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World, now on at the Playhouse

Article by Dawn Collinson

A brand new pop musical by the producer of the worldwide stage sensation Six the Musical is putting the inspirational sing-a-long feelgood into Christmas at the Playhouse this year.

Fantastically Great Women who Changed the World is a fantastically good show packed with catchy tunes and the incredible stories of women who changed the course of history.

Figures like civil rights campaigner Rosa Parks, artist Frida Kahlo and scientist Marie Curie come to life on stage in a production with all the passion, energy and fabulous music of an arena concert.

Based on an original award-winning picture book by Kate Pankhurst, who is a relative of suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, Fantastically Great Women centres around a curious little girl called Jade.

Taken on a school trip to a museum, Jade decides she wants to discover more about what she sees so leaves the rest of her class to hide away.

Like the film Night at the Museum, Jade soon discovers more than she imagined about the exhibits as one by one they come to life. 

The women start to appear and tell their stories through songs which all have the hallmark of great pop hits thanks to their writer Miranda Cooper.

She has written for the massive-selling artists like Girls Aloud and Kylie Minogue and has around 35 top 10 hit records to her name so audiences can expect plenty of chart-worthy tunes that stay in their head long after they’ve left the theatre.

“The testament of a good musical is going home singing the songs and Fantastically Great Women definitely has that,” says Sarah Ogle from Everyman and Playhouse.

“The original picture book is a beautiful-illustrated story aimed at younger girls aged around 5-6 but this show is really for anyone from that age upwards. 

“You walk out feeling uplifted, and the smiles on kids’ faces, parents’ faces and grandparents’ faces as they leave the theatre is wonderful.  

“It’s very different to panto or anything else we’ve done at the Playhouse in recent years for Christmas, and although it’s about female role models boys will get something out of it too because it creates lots of talking points and it’s just a really upbeat show with these incredible characters.”

The production also has lots of Liverpool links and the whole team is female – from writer Chris Bush to associate director Ellie Hurt who came through the YEP graduate programme. There’s also brilliant Liverpool-born actor Renee Lamb, who was one of the original queens, Catherine of Aragon, in Six and is now playing aviator Amelia Earhart, Rosa Parks and nurse Marie Seacole.

On until Sunday January 2, Sarah says it’s perfect for the festive run-up and especially between Christmas and New Year. 

“As well as the actors you’ve got a band of three who are on stage the whole time so it’s a joyful live theatre experience. This show will be inspiring and take you into the New Year with a smile and a real lift.”

Book tickets to see Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World, showing at the Playhouse, here.