Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World

FANTASTICALLY GREAT WOMEN WHO CHANGED THE WORLD IS VIBRANT, COLOURFUL AND UPLIFTING!

When you first hear the title ‘Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World’, you can immediately think of one woman, whether she’s a historical figure or an international popstar, there’s a woman in your mind who you think has had a great impact on the world. I had a vague idea of what this show would entail, it’s based on the award-winning Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World book series by suffragette descendant Kate Pankhurst, so it’s bound to include a few of those iconic figures.

The empowering pop musical sees inquisitive heroine, Jade, break away from her class on a school trip and she discovers a whole world in the, not yet open, Gallery of Greatness. Along the way, she meets incredible wonder women: Frida Kahlo, Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart, Mary Seacole, Marie Curie, Emmeline Pankhurst to name just a few.

The standout for me was the talented cast who took on several iconic characters and nailed each one. From quick costume changes to the accent switching, you recognised who each woman was as soon as she entered the stage. Georgia Grant-Anderson (Demon Dentist, Beauty and the Beast, Holby City) takes on the role of 11-year-old Jade who sneaks into the closed off gallery and meets the incredible women. Grant-Anderson ticks every box of how enthusiastic a young girl would be in this moment and we see the character become braver as her belief in herself builds throughout the show.

Jennier Caldwell (SIX, American Idiot, Knights of the Rose) takes on Emmeline Pankhurst and Agent Fifi, Elena Breschi (Kindertransport, Little Fir Tree, LOL! Surprise Live) plays Sacagawea, Frida Kahlo and Marie Curie, Chloe Hart (Hairspray, Kinky Boots, Wicked) is Gertrude Ederle, Jane Austen and Mary Anning, and Leah Vassell (SIX, West Side Story) takes on Amelia Earhart, Mary Seacole and Rosa Parks. The all-female cast was amazing, their voices gelled so deliciously together and the chemistry between them was perfect. It emulated a real, strong female friendship group full of love and support for each other.

The set was basic, but there was no need for anything as the whole story revolved around the characters. The three-piece band sat on top of large pillars at the back of the stage and the lights would switch between colours to make the show vibrant. The costumes were fabulous, not a dull shade in sight! Emmerline Pankhurst donned a purple military uniform showing her strength and leadership and Frida’s multi-colour dress was exactly what you’d imagine her to wear. All of the costumes stood out wonderfully against the gray school uniform worn by Jade.

I cannot express how much joy and warmth this show brings, it’s the ultimate reminder of just how limitless girl power is. It’s a sister to the hit musical, SIX, and brings to the stage more historical female figures that we should know and love. A trip to the Lowry over the Christmas period is so worth it for this show.

It’s vibrant, colourful and uplifting but still delivers all the key messages of history making and how hard it was for these women to break through. It’s an unapologetically powerful popstar punch and fits in an insane amount of girl power in the short 80-minute run. 

Simply put - It’s full of fantastically great women and I loved it!

WE SCORE FANTASTICALLY GREAT WOMEN WHO CHANGED THE WORLD...

Who rules the world?  Girls!!  What a fantastical, feisty show of female flourishment!  The thrilling and aspiring new musical, Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World is an exhilarating blend of rip-roaring poptastic fun, and incredible historical women who positively influenced our world through hard work, hardship and adversity.  This show is destined to whisper in the ears of all who watch it, encouraging future generations to reach for the stars and reject limitations.

I had no idea what to expect from this musical and was equally intrigued and apprehensive.  It is beyond a shadow of a doubt a superb idea, as the award-winning picture book it is based on proves.  Written by suffragette descendent Kate Pankhurst, the concept has immediate kudos, but would staging it and mixing that with original pop songs diminish its authority?  The answer is a resounding no.  Quite the opposite.  It brings history to life in a modern and engaging way, making the stories of our wonder women such as Amelia Earhart, Marie Curie, Emmeline Pankhurst, Rosa Parks and Jane Austen easily accessible and memorable. 

Female empowerment is felt before the show has even started with an array of female music stars being piped through the auditorium as we sit and wait with anticipation. 

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World follows our eleven year old heroine Jade who fears she has been forgotten and left behind on a school trip to a local gallery.  As she hides out in the Gallery of Greatness, Jade is propelled into a series of exciting escapades, led by some of the most prominent women in history.  These women empower Jade, allowing her to make sense of her own home life, where she is struggling to deal with her parent’s divorce.  Jade learns about choice, control, influence and mind set – an incredibly strong combination – which enables her to make her own way in the world and be proud of who she is.      

But this show is about so much more than historical figures, or indeed the equality of women.  It reaches out to everyone and challenges the inner saboteur hiding in all of us.  Its core message is empowerment, self-belief and self-worth.  With an audience full of children, many of whom may have been affected with wellbeing issues following the pandemic, I urge anyone struggling to go and watch Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World.

The show opens with the cast of four female performers running through the audience as teachers, trying to round up their flock so they can get back to school safely and on time.  We are immediately treated to a belting number that tells us how teachers truly feel about their students, which is funny, fast and jam packed with girl group attitude.  This opening most definitely has SIX vibes about it, which becomes clear when you discover that it is produced by Kenny Wax (producer of the original girl power show Six).

As Jade starts to meet the great women who have influenced the world, we are treated to song after song, each with its own flavour.  Stand outs are Deeds Not Words by Emmeline Pankhurst, which could easily be a Little Mix Song, The Four Mary’s song, Frida Kahlo’s colourful song which has a brilliant break out percussion section, and Rosa Parks emotional and brilliant lullaby that delivers the most beautiful of messages.  The songs are energetic, moving and modern, captivating audiences young and old.

The all female cast do not relent for a second, and are rarely off stage.  These women are a credit to their art form, as they switch seamlessly between roles, encapsulating the fantastic women.  They have endless energy and should be applauded for their own message of hard work and dedication.  They blend historical facts with humour, song, dance, and so much fun.  Jade Kennedy (The Snow Queen, Billy Elliott), Christina Modestou (Carousel, The Boy In The Dress, Little Shop Of Horrors), Renee Lamb (original cast of Six, Little Shop Of Horrors, Ain’t Misbehavin’) and Kirstie Skivington (& Juliet, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Jesus Christ Superstar) most definitely have this show safely in their back pocket and their combined talent, charm, energy and amiability will ensure it continues to go from strength to strength.  I am genuinely in awe at what they have just achieved and how they maintained the pace and the numerous different roles they created.

Of course, the absolute smash of the show is Kudzai Mangombe as Jade.  What an absolute natural superstar.  Her acting was outstanding, and she literally did not leave the stage from beginning to end.  She had many monologues, all performed with such a raw truth, beauty and charm all of her own, that I simply know I just witnessed a young lady who will change the world herself one day.  In fact, I’m sure she already has because I can guarantee that her performance will have ignited a spark in other young performers who will have been given the encouragement to follow their dream.

The female band are small but mighty and occasionally join in the action themselves, creating a truly team effort of a show.  One of the productions strong messages is that nobody changes the world alone, and this sentiment can be seen throughout the success of this show for it truly is a huge team effort. 

The production is colourful in every way, from its characters, to is performers, costumes, set and lighting design.  A bright tapestry a colour floods the stage in an eye catching array of wonder, particularly during Frida Kahlo’s song where neon day of the dead masks illuminate, floral head pieces dominate and whisking skirts and wings take flight.  It is clear that a lot of thought has gone towards captivating a younger audience just as much as an adult one and I was thrilled to see an older gentleman on the front row bopping his head along to a rap number, full of neon sweats and swag.  Equally there are hilariously quirky lines such as “Does a Wednesday ever smell like feet and disappointment?” to the more poignant “No one can see the world in the way that you do.”  It is a show that seems masterfully aware of its cross over audience and caters for all. 

With a show that is only approximately 80-90 minutes long with no interval, it becomes a fete to include so many fantastic women and give a rounded explanation as to who they are and what they achieved.  However, if you are learning about them for the first time, be encouraged to do some googling when you get home, for there is so much inspiration to be found.  The show does a remarkable job of sharing short and sweet synopsis’ of each great woman we encounter, wetting the appetite of many younger audience members, who were clearly keen to know and learn more about these wonderous figures.

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World has given rise to a female dominated show in a time when diversity and equality are being examined and championed more than ever before.  With original music from   Miranda Cooper (Girls Aloud, Kylie Minogue) and and Jennifer Decilveo (Miley Cyrus, Beth Ditto), direction by Amy Hodge (Mr. Gum and the dancing bear – National Theatre) and of course written by Kate Pankhurst, it is no surprise that Wax comments, "What a thrill to have assembled our own team of fantastically great women to create this incredible show.”

I champion any show that uses performing arts to engage and educate students.  It is a brilliant platform to provide equality in learning styles and truly make a topic come to life, making it relevant, accessible and successful.  This is a show that educational leaders should sit up and take notice of.  Performing arts are not to be dismissed, we should not retrain.  Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World makes me so proud to stand up to such outdated views and prove what we knew all along!  The world would be lost without a drama queen!