Review: Crazy for You hits New Wimbledon Theatre

When I escaped bedtime last night and headed to New Wimbledon Theatre, I was ready to have a laugh and a giggle. We had been invited to the feel-good musical Crazy For You, and I knew the rom-com style show would be exactly what I needed to relax and take a break from the daily routine.

Crazy For You, a Watermill Theatre production, stars actor and past Strictly Come Dancing winner Tom Chambers, West End star Charlotte Wakefield and actor and TV personality Claire Sweeney, and the high-energy show is all about mistaken identities, heartbreak and finding love.

It tells the story about Bobby, the son of wealthy bankers who wants to be a Broadway star. When Bobby is sent to a small town in Nevada to close a failing theatre, he falls in love and gets an opportunity to use his other talents by setting out on a mission to help save the theatre.

Crazy For You features Gershwin classics like I Got Rhythm, They Can’t Take That Away From Me and Embraceable You and the music is lively and upbeat. I particularly liked the second act when I felt Wakefield really showcased her voice and large ensemble musical numbers kicked the show up another gear.

A constant flow of one-liners also kept us giggling, and the music and dancing meant I regularly found myself tapping my toes. In fact, the dancing in this musical reminded me how much fun we had when we were taking dance lessons, and I left the theatre feeling inspired.

The talking point when we were on our way out of the theatre was still the music. There was an announcement at the start of the show about the instruments in the show being played live, and I think this really made it stand out. We were taken aback by the multitalented actors, who were not only singing and dancing in Crazy For You, but also playing different instruments.

With plenty of humour, tapping and swinging, this upbeat show made for a fun evening out with a friend.

Crazy For You is playing at New Wimbledon Theatre until 10 March. The running time is 2 hours 25 minutes, including interval.

Tags: Crazy For You, Musical, New Wimbledon Theatre, Review, Show, Theatre