Review: Only Fools and Horses the musical at the Liverpool Empire ****

It seems to be the season for live stage adaptations of TV's ‘national treasures’.

Fawlty Towers heads for the Empire this autumn, and ahead of the arrival of irascible Basil and co, Trotters Independent Traders' three-wheeler has rolled into Liverpool with the inaugural tour of West End smash hit musical Only Fools and Horses.

Penned by its late creator John Sullivan’s son Jim (keeper of the OFAH flame) and Paul Whitehouse, the musical brings the beloved series’ greatest hits – both characters and classic moments – together in a script that owes much to the source material, wrapping it up in a narrative arc centred around brotherly (dis)affection, family loyalties and community spirit.

When it comes to the soundtrack that underpins the action, Sullivan’s original TV theme tune (perhaps inevitably) does a lot of heavy lifting, opening proceedings then returning several times over the course of the evening in different iterations before a crowd-pleasing finale which gets the audience on its feet, singing along.

Read an interview with Del Boy actor Sam Lupton

Much of of the musical’s score comes from Whitehouse and Jim Sullivan, although there is also a little input from Chas Hodges (of Chas and Dave fame).

The numbers are of variable quality, and it’s improbable you’ll be able to hum many of the tunes the next morning.

But their lyrics do drive the narrative, and among them there are some enjoyable nods to various musical genres including a duet – Being a Villain - between heavies Danny (Peter Watts, owner of a voice as deep as the Mariana Trench) and Tony (Darryl Paul) Driscoll which has a toothsome Klezmer-like quality to it.

The real strength of the production lies in the cast’s terrific performances, the sense of a shared cultural experience, tinged with nostalgia, among its audience, and the mining of the emotional heart which – however preposterous the comedy set pieces - remains at the core of the Trotters’ story.

Above: Paul Whitehouse as Grandad. Top: Del Boy (Sam Lupton) and Rodney (Tom Major)

Rodney (newcomer Tom Major) is preparing to marry Cassandra and worrying over finding the deposit for their first home, spurring big brother Del (Sam Lupton, uncanny in the role) to think about the wasteland that is his own private life and how he needs to do something about it.

From there it’s just a hop, step and a soft shoe shuffle to a dating agency – in an absolutely delightful routine; first Lupton alone, evidently relishing his Fred Astaire moment (Mange Tout), and then with an ebullient Richard J Hunt as the matchmaker in the cheerily entertaining duet Bit of a Sort, while elsewhere, Del does a deal with the aforementioned Driscolls to secure the readies Rodney desperately needs.

Back in their flat, Whitehouse’s Grandad remains an anchor figure in the Trotter home, even if he’s one that’s not always appreciated by the bickering brothers.

Above: Trigger (Lee VG) sings Gaze Into my Ball in Only Fools and Horses the Musical

Lupton, Major and Whitehouse form a formidable triumvirate – Lupton driving the narrative in a bravura performance as Del, whose blithe Gallic malapropisms come thick and fast, and Major more than holding his own as the younger sibling. Their relationship has a little of the Fletch and Lenny Godber about it.

Around them swirls a cast of cherished comedy characters who deliver lines instantly recognisable to the audience. Stand outs among them include Lee VG as Trigger and Craig Berry who nails the late John Challis’s Boycie laugh, to the auditorium’s delight.

Meanwhile a versatile Nicola Munns doubles as both Cassandra and Marlene, and Georgina Hagen brings warmth and a lovely vocal delivery to Raquel.

Director Caroline Jay Ranger (who is also at the helm of the aforementioned Fawlty Towers) maintains good pacing and comedy timing on Alice Power’s touring set which is its own revolve – the central trio of moveable parts manipulated by the cast to become, variously, the Trotter’s flat, Nag’s Head pub, the grotty Sid’s Café and, when end on, Waterloo Station.

And a screen behind offers an additional cityscape as well as a canvas for Leo Flint’s animations which complement the cheery storytelling on stage.