50 First Dates | The Other Palace

50 First Dates, which is based on the 2004 movie originally written by George Wing, is a romantic comedy musical. with Direction and Musical Staging by Casey Nicholaw, and book, music and lyrics by David Rossmer and Steve Rosen, this musical adaptation of the movie brings a sense of joy and warmth to London's theatre scene. 

50 First Dates follows the romantic relationship of Henry Roth (Josh St Clair) and Lucy Whitmore (Georgina Castle). Henry is a travel influencer and is notoriously known for never staying in one place for too long, yet a chance encounter with the sweet Lucy in a small coastal town in Florida challenges this. After spending "a perfect day" together, Henry chooses to postpone a European dream tour proposal from his agent in order to spend more time with Lucy. However, the next day when they meet, she doesn't remember him.

Lucy suffers from anterograde amnesia following a car accident earlier that year, wherein she's unable to form new memories. She believes everyday is August 5th, a day before her birthday, and spends every day ticking off her list of things to do before her birthday. Lucy's family and the whole community, come together to give her "one perfect day" everyday, leading her to live the same day again and again and again. Henry, driven by hope and love, sticks around, determined to get Lucy to fall in love with him again. And again. And again.

The premise is a little bizarre, the sort of love story that you'd expect to see in the movies. Which is why this musical adaptation works so well. The musical is able to elevate the premise more, framing it in a jolly and even feel good musical that centres around love, hope and community. The musical, which features original music, is a delight to watch, always encouraging a beaming smile or a booming laugh with colourful characters aplenty. Henry and Lucy, each charming and sweet in their own way, are backed up by a small community, with distinctive characters that add to the fun! The two leads have the Disney level chemistry one would wish from this movie, and audiences are just as invested in their relationship as the community are.

The musical, especially given the fast paced nature of a one act musical with a lot of action and passage of time, hinges on the sincerity of love at first sight. This is further backed by the sense of community, belonging and family that allows both leads to be their own person outside of the relationship. Songs are used well, to quickly establish scenes, and longer sequences can cover weeks at a time, without ever leaving the audience out of the loop. 

St. Clair is everything you'd want in a leading man. He's sweet, good natured, charming to no end, funny and he's got perfect hair. Henry makes or breaks this musical, and they struck gold with St. Clair, whose passionate performance shines throughout the show. St. Clair also has one of the most melting voices that really does sell the songs, and has the audiences under a trance, especially in his more emotional number. Castle is another incredible talent, who proves her range as she can go from happy and optimistic to devastating wails of grief in split seconds. Castle, fresh off her run as Regina George in Mean Girls, greets audiences with an innocence and sweet nature that's gorgeously winning. Whilst the character archetype doesn't allow for much else, Castle puts her own spin in the role with a sassy side that comes through in banter with Henry. Castle also treats audiences to her own strong vocals. 

Chad Saint Louis and Natasha O'Brien (as Sandy, and Henry's agent, Delilah) however, steal the show whenever they're on stage. Louis' charm and sunny nature promises audiences that they're in capable hands as his infectious energy dominates each scene. Louis has vocals for days, and London audiences will no doubt be seeing plenty of him. O'Brien is nothing short of iconic as the frustrated, ambitious, cocky yet lovable agent. A modern no-nonsense fairy godmother, O'Brien's wit and sharp dialogue delivery is unmatched, along with her facial expressions that have the audiences in stitches. Aiesha Naomi Pease as Ukulele Sue is another stand out performer, with her fierce protectiveness of Lucy and astonishingly powerful vocals in her solo. Ricky Rojas as Marco is another hilarious addition, with his own signature style and gravitas making the character so memorable. John Marquez and Charlie Toland, as Lucy's Father Marlin, and Brother Doug, are both also excellent. Marquez's heartfelt performance as he grieves and carries guilt for his daughter's state is well balanced by the pure insanity that is Doug. Toland, embracing a mix of satirical toxic masculinity and pure gamer geek, is hilarious to watch, always injecting humour in even the most emotional of scenes. Greg Stylianou Burns makes every line count with some of the show's most hilarious one-liners. 

The staging (Fly Davis) uses a mix of screens and set that blend well together and create a real sense of home and intimacy. The preset pre-show includes rotating photos of real life couples from their own first dates projected onto the screens which adds to the intimacy of the show. The screens (projection design by George Reeve) are also used to denote Henry's travels, the beautiful scenery in Florida, including the star filled night sky and greenery. A staple large set piece placed centre stage is cleverly used for both Ukulele Sue's cafe and the front of Lucy's house. With quick transformation and using the front and back of the set, this piece unfolds efficiently, whilst still feeling familiar and homey. One slight note, given the larger context of a creative industry, was the enormous use of AI generated images as Lucy's paintings that could have authentic or even invited more fans to send in artwork. Aideen Malone's lighting design provides a sense of natural light and positively glows. 

Davis also serves as the Costume Designer, and gives the ensemble a flurry of colours and styles that not only add to the warmth of the show, but also individualises each role. Special mention to the series of quick changes that the two leads go through in a sequence of impossibly fast changes. Cynthia De La Rose as the Wigs, Hair and Makeup Design has created an atmosphere where they feel right at home in sunny Florida, even in the colder London months. 

Ironically, the musical's weakest element is the music. Although there are some gorgeous songs that had audiences hooked in the moment, especially complimented heavily by the brilliant performers, on the whole the songs aren't particularly memorable. They aid in the storytelling, particularly Happy Sunday, and whilst the emotional reaction from the songs remains post show, the names or tunes sadly do not. By no means was the score lacking, yet it didn't quite sustain for a musical. 

50 First Dates takes audiences on an emotional rollercoaster of falling in love for the first time and continuing to choose that person every day. With wonderful moments of cathartic tears and tenderness, 50 First Dates is a delightful musical that feels like home, whether it's your first time or your fiftieth. 

50 First Dates plays at The Other Palace until 16th November 2025.

★★★★☆ (4*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Pamela Raith