TAKE That are in the throes of a busy summer – one they’ll Never Forget.
Hot on the heels of their show stopping performance at the Coronation Concert for King Charles III at Windsor Castle and ahead of the release of their film Greatest Days next month, avid audiences have been enjoying the boys’ hits in theatres across the country.
The band’s musical stage show – also called Greatest Days – reached Manchester’s Palace Theatre this week – Take That’s adopted home city – with fans eagerly soaking up the boy band’s sounds of the 90s.
Regan Gascoigne, Kalifa Burton, Archie Durrant, Jamie Corner and Alexanda O'Reilly are the five members of 'the band' Alastair Muir)
Greatest Days was originally produced as The Band, opening at Manchester Opera House in 2017 breaking box office records along the way.
There was even an ITV show to cast the five members of the band judged by Gary Barlow himself.
Taking to the stage once again to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Take That’s first number one single Pray, Greatest Days features more than 15 of the band’s record-breaking songs, which provide the soundtrack to a heart-warming and comedic story of love, loss and laughter for a group of five teenage girls in the 1990s.
Hannah Brown, Mary Moore, Emilie Cunliffe, Kitty Harris and Mari McGinlay play the five teenage fans in the 90s (Alastair Muir)
The friends reunite more than 20 years later in the hope of seeing their teenage heart throbs one last time.
Warrington’s own Kym Marsh has stepped into the shoes of Rachel O’Flynn vacated by comedienne Aisling Bee, who plays the same role in the upcoming film, and her daughter Emilie Cunliffe stars as young Rachel.
Written and co-directed by Tim Firth, who co-wrote Calendar Girls The Musical with Gary Barlow, Greatest Days is divided into two parts – the first is set in the 1990s when teenage girls across the country idolised Take That – simply called ‘the band’ in the show – and would be glued to the television each Thursday night in the hope of catching a glimpse of the boys on Top of the Pops.
The five 16-year-old girls are full of hope and promise that one day they’ll get to meet their idols when one of them wins a competition to see them in concert at the Manchester Apollo.
It’s a nostalgic look at teenage dreams before the heart-breaking events that play a pivotal role in all their lives unfold with young Rachel in the spotlight – a truly moving performance by Emilie Cunliffe.
Kym Marsh stars as Rachel and daughter Emilie Cunliffe is young Rachel (Alastair Muir)
Fast forward 25 years and the girls are women in their 40s as we learn that the friends have lost touch and moved on with their lives.
It’s only when Rachel wins tickets to the band’s reunion gig in a radio competition and she decides to invite her old friends that we discover how the past two decades have played out.
The five members of the band pepper the story with Take That’s greatest hits appearing at key moments with perfectly poignant lyrics and not forgetting the classic dance routines.
There’s the instantly recognisable Shine, Relight My Fire and Rule The World as well as Back For Good, A Million Love Songs and Pray as well as the much under rated Said It All, Hold Up A Light and Get Ready For It.
For all Take That fans this is a must see show that finishes with the audience singing and dancing in the aisles to the unforgettable Never Forget.
Greatest Days will be visiting theatres all over the UK until the end of November after its run in Manchester finishes on Saturday, May 27, and the film premiers in cinemas on Friday, June 16.
Greatest Days is on at The Palace Theatre in Manchester until May 27
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