Rating: ★★★★★
Running Dates: Monday 20th November - Saturday 25th November 2023
Where to see it: The Bristol Hippodrome
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes (including interval)
Keywords: Musical, family-friendly, feel good

Review

The hit stage musical Annie has arrived at The Bristol hippodrome, and I’m so glad it has! Annie is an astonishing feel good musical!

Set in 1930s during the Great Depression, following the Wall Street crash when poverty and homeless had a hit an all time high. A courageous young girl Annie, spends her life in misery at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage. This is until her luck changes, when the billionaire Oliver Warbucks chooses to invite Annie over to stay with him during the Christmas period. Over the Christmas period Oliver Warbucks becomes very found on Annie and has plans of his own to help her find her parents however Miss Hannigan’s has her own spiteful plans to ruin Annie’s chances.

The set design is covered in giant pieces of jigsaw puzzles. It’s catches your eye as soon as you walk into the theatre. The puzzles seem to be a metaphor of Annie’s journey as she tries answer the questions about her life piece by piece and find her parents. Each set design change was just as marvellous as the previous one, helping to bring the different scenes alive within the performance. The props and clothing are also reminiscent of the time the play is set.

The cast were fantastic they kept the audience laughing with a joke every now and then. It was remarkable hearing all the classical songs live such as It’s The Hard-Knock Life, Easy Street and Tomorrow, it’s impossible not to sing along! All the upbeat and theatrical dancing didn’t disappoint either. There was also a surprise cast member Sandy who kept making an sneaky appearance!

Annie truly has an astonishing star cast, with seasoned pros and aspiring and talented youngsters! It is a truly brilliant musical and the best way to see it is in an old style theatre just like The Bristol Hippodrome, it’s a unforgettable experience. Don’t miss it!

Standout Quote or Moment: The musical song Tomorrow!

Last Impression: A positive feel good musical!

Reviewed by Ella Hunter