Starter for Ten: 'very fun' musical adaptation of One Day author's debut
'Top-notch' cast combined with 'energetic and fun' songs makes for a 'feel-good' show

The novelist and screenwriter David Nicholls is "hard to avoid" at the moment, said Dominic Cavendish in The Daily Telegraph. A new screen adaptation of his 2009 bestseller One Day has become a huge hit on Netflix; his forthcoming novel You Are Here is hotly anticipated; and his 2003 debut, Starter for Ten, which was filmed in 2006, has now been turned into a feel-good stage musical. The show, which has just premiered at the Bristol Old Vic, is not an "epic masterpiece", but it's colourful and stirring, offers oodles of 1980s musical nostalgia, and looks set to reach a wider audience.
The story concerns Brian, a working-class youth from Essex who has won a place to read English literature at Bristol University and is now desperate to be selected for its University Challenge team. Cleverly scripted by Charlie Parham and Emma Hall, the musical "has the energy levels of a freshers' foam party and the cuteness of a first-term romance", said Rosemary Waugh in The Stage.
Everything is staged with confidence and brio, agreed Charlotte Jones on What's on Stage, and the cast is top-notch. Adam Bregman is charming as Brian; Emily Lane, as posh love interest Alice, dazzles with her operatic talent; while Will Jennings is hysterical as the nerdy team captain Patrick.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Some of the characterisation is too broad," said Arifa Akbar in The Guardian: "Mel Giedroyc, as Brian's mother, is an especially generic Essex caricature." But Brian is more textured, and his "push and pull" with Sloaney Alice and Rebecca (Eubha Akilade), a "sarky Glaswegian" student protester, gives the story "class satire and comic bite". The music, by Hatty Carman and Tom Rasmussen, is "infused with synth sounds and musical debts to the likes of New Order and Eurythmics", and the songs are energetic and funny. It's a pity that, in the second half, the anarchic comedy veers into "unhinged", and a series of not very catchy songs rather distracts from the story. A change to Nicholls's original ending also feels like a jarring mistake. But until you get to that point, this is "a very fun ride".
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Immigrant' Superman film raises hackles on the right
TALKING POINT Director James Gunn's comments about the iconic superhero's origins and values have rankled conservatives who embrace the Trump administration's strict anti-immigrant agenda
-
Scientists and Peter Jackson attempt to bring back an extinct bird — kind of
In the Spotlight Colossal Biosciences was the company behind the 'resurrected' dire wolves
-
'Alaska has the resources, but America needs the will'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
The Red Brigades: a 'fascinating insight' into the 'most feared' extremist group of 1970s Italy
The Week Recommends A 'grimly absorbing' history of the group and their attempts to overthrow the Italian state
-
Jurassic World Rebirth: enjoyable sequel hampered by plot holes
Talking Point The latest dinosaur reboot captures the essence of the original – but leans too heavily on 'CGI-heavy set pieces'
-
The 5 best TV reboots of all time
The Week Recommends Finding an entirely new cast to play beloved characters is harder than it looks
-
Summer in Seattle: Outdoor dining like nowhere else
Feature Featuring a patio with a waterfront view, a beer garden, and more
-
Film reviews: F1: The Movie, 28 Years Later, and Familiar Touch
Feature An aging race car driver gets one last chance, a kid struggles to survive in this '28 Days Later' update, and a woman with dementia adjusts to her new life
-
Diane Arbus' Constellation is the largest-ever collection of her work
Feature Park Avenue Armory, New York City, through Aug. 17
-
July fiction: Summers to remember
Feature Featuring the latest summer-themed novels from Darrow Farr, Lucas Schaefer, and more
-
Snow what? 6 charming ski towns to visit during peak summer.
The Week Recommends No powder, no problem