Watching Vinnie Jones dance and hearing him sing wasn’t on my 2024 bingo card, yet here we are. It’s a surreal sight, but it somehow works in Only Fools and Horses: The Musical. I’ve never watched a single episode of the original series, but I still enjoyed it. The writing does all the heavy lifting, full of jokes that even outsiders like me can laugh at.
The songs sometimes feel a bit unnecessary, but they’re mostly fine. The one about a crystal ball predicting Peckham’s future—baristas, trendy shops, the whole gentrified nightmare—was just perfect. Del Boy’s immortal promise, “This time next year, we’ll be millionaires!” kept ringing in my head—though these days, it feels less like ambition and more like satire.
Do I need to watch the series now, or have I reached peak Peckham? Either way, nothing could have prepared me for the sight of Vinnie Jones serenading an audience. Lovely jubbly, indeed.
👍👎
Only Fools and Horses: The Musical
Hammersmith Apollo, London
Book, Lyrics and Original Music by Paul Whitehouse & Jim Sullivan
Directed by Caroline Jay Ranger
Cast: Sam Lupton as Del Boy, Paul Whitehouse as Grandad, Vinnie Jones as Danny Driscoll, et al.
Elia Kabanov is a science writer covering the past, present and future of technology (@metkere).
Illustration by Elia Kabanov feat. Midjourney.
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