Spend Spend Spend - Manchester Royal Exchange ★★★★★

Infidelity. Excess. Money. Alcoholism. Death…

No, not the start of Chicago The Musical but rather some of the themes contained in the effervescent Spend Spend Spend. The smash hit show, penned by the late Steve Brown and Justin Greene, originally took the West End by storm in 1999. Inspired by the helter skelter highs and lows of 1960s pools winner Viv Nicholson, who announced to the press that she was going to ‘spend, spend, spend’ her winnings, the show featured Barbara Dickson as Viv and Rachel Leskovac making her West End debut as Young Viv. Fast forward 25 years and the Manchester Royal Exchange revival sees Leskovac making an eagerly-anticipated return to musical theatre, now in the older role once played by Dickson.

At its core, Viv’s story is so incredible that even soap operas would consider it a bit much. From a rough upbringing in the mining Yorkshire community of Castleford, she got pregnant at 16 and married the father, Matt. Within two years, she ditched him and married her next door neighbour Keith. She had four children and was living in a council house when they won just over £152,000 on the Football pools, transforming their lives forever. Seeing the value of this glamorous, unguarded woman, the tabloids thrust her into the spotlight adding fame (or notoriety) to her fortune. True to her word, Viv did spend spend spend buying a flashy-trashy lifestyle… before it all went wrong…

Spend tells Viv’s story as a musical memory play with older Viv (Leskovac) retracing her turbulent life, watching over her younger self (Rose Galbraith) reliving her choices. While younger and older Vivs often mirror each other with movements and vocal motifs, designer Grace Smart’s mirrored floor set turns the Royal Exchange literally into a reflective echo chamber.

Given that Young Viv has to age from a naive and vulnerable young teen, into a lusty force of nature twenty something, right through to a grieving middle-age, Galbraith is masterful in charting Viv’s evolution. The purity of her voice lends an added poignancy to a character who remains true to herself and unbowed by all that life throws at her.

She has effortless chemistry with Alex James-Hatton, a charismatic Keith. From hilarious flirting across the garden fence to the bittersweet ache of how the pools win brought money but not happiness, the pair bring a believability that demands you invest in their romance.

But while both bring the energy, Rachel Leskovac’s mesmerising performance gives Spend such emotional heft. Never off stage, she imbues the show with Viv’s irrepressible presence, even when she is looking on as her memories play out. She deploys the bravado of a ringmaster with the front and the timing of a stand-up comic to play the mouthy side of Viv with endearing gusto. But it’s in the small details and the nuances, that Leskovac breaks your heart. Connecting to her deepest feelings, you feel her wince as the story plays out before her eyes with the knowledge of how it will end, coupled with the palpable sense that she would do it all again in a heartbeat.

Leskovac sings with a natural warmth and directness which eschews vocal pyrotechnics in favour of cutting through to the emotional heart of each song. Her Viv is rich and textured and complicated but more than anything is searingly truthful. It’s such exquisite work, played with talent and intelligence, that you rue the years it has taken her to return to musical theatre.

Matching the boldness of Leskovac’s performance, director Josh Seymour‘s revival is willing to take risks and reshape the show. Adding new lyrics, songs, and even a new character to an already-award-winning show is a risky strategy but it pays off. With no fixed set, other than a tempting, glamorous fringed glitter curtain above the stage (rumoured to be nicknamed ‘Cilla’ as it’s full of surprise, surprises), Seymour keeps the action flowing at such a brisk pace, audiences will get that giddy rollercoaster thrill throughout.

Songs such as Scars of Love, Who’s Gonna Love Me and Canary are bona fide classics in the British musical theatre songbook and this production honours the extraordinary, evocative writing of the late and great Steve Brown and Justin Greene. Ben Ferguson‘s musical arrangements dig deep into the core of these songs, raising the emotional ante of the score.

This 2024 revival of Spend Spend Spend takes the elements of a successful and much-loved British musical and reworks them into such a rich and heartfelt tapestry that honours what has gone before and yet presents something new and intriguing. It is a full 360 theatrical experience with all the feels. And with the festive season increasingly dominated by conspicuous consumption, how timely a reminder is show about all the things you can’t buy?

Unquestionably The Recs’ show of the year! There, we said it!