50 First Dates: The Musical

Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore's 50 First Dates, to some, is one the greatest romantic comedies in recent years.

So it was a no-brainer to hurry to The Other Palace to watch it come to life in a musical, with Georgina Castle (Mean Girls) and Josh St Clair (Ghost) at the helm as Lucy Whitmore and Henry Roth.

Fans of the original movie will be pleasantly surprised that the essence of the story between Lucy, an artist with short-term memory loss and Henry, the commitment phobe who falls in love with her, remains the same, albeit with some slight tweaks to Henry's job.

But it works. The songs, penned by David Rossmer and Steve Rosen, are just as wholesome and charming as the love story presented to us, with even the most sceptical of audience members are soon won over.

The chemistry between Castle and St Clair is palpable, with the pair's characters falling in love after just one day checking off Lucy's list and having seemingly the perfect day. Their reputations precede them, having starred in the likes of Mamma Mia! and and Kinky Boots, respectively.

With their romance told through songs such as They're Not You and Good Morning, Lucy, you find yourself rooting for a pair you've only been introduced to just 30 minutes prior.

Like every musical on and off the West End, the ensemble is core to any show, and 50 First Dates is no different.

From the absolute power ballad that is Key Largo, led beautifully by Chad Saint Louis (Spring Awakening), to Aiesha Naomi Pease's performance of pretty much anything, her voice is complete euphoria.

One part of the musical, just as in the film, that makes this an incredibly heartwarming outing is the love that the residents of Key Largo, her family and eventually Henry have for Lucy.

Perfectly weaved throughout the musical is the love each and every character has for one another, whether it be romantic or platonic, or sometimes misconstrued when it comes to Henry's manager, Delilah, played hilariously by Natasha O'Brien (Mamma Mia!).

The Other Palace makes the perfect location for 50 First Dates, with the staging and projections adding to the warm and cosy feeling the story omits.

It can be difficult to hit the mark with a movie adaptation for stage, but its creation has been a long and loving road for its creators, who all speak so highly of the work they have created.

Rosen noted that the story is about "community and about the lengths people will go to in order to level the playing field for people they love who have been dealt an unfair situation", and 50 First Dates: The Musical has certainly succeeded in telling that story.

Fly Davis has designed a flexible beach-chic set, under the golden flow of Aideen Malone's lighting, with restaurant booths making way for the home where Lucy's salty father (John Marquez) and bellicose brother (Charlie Toland) devotedly conceal her condition.

If you're after charm, wittiness and charisma, 50 First Dates could just be the musical for you.