I attribute quite a lot of my adult personality to my love affair with girl power and how swept away I got in all things noughties. So when I saw that there was a musical called 2 Become 1 coming to Edinburgh I was more than a little excited - and this show delivers on almost every level. These four young performers bring to life not just the era and music of the early 2000's but four likeable and genuinely funny characters along the way.
A spectacular musical journey through too many classics to count
The story centres around a young woman who's just split from her boyfriend. Her friends predictably rally together, strip her out of her dressing gown and demand she allows them to take her speed dating. Genuine hilarity ensues as they 'ding' their way through an onslaught of potential mates, with each girl showing us their different approaches. From flirty to desperate to weird and back again, we see them struggle to find love and definitely not struggle to have us on side with them every step of the way. They’ll get you involved, make you laugh and bring boundless energy.
What I didn't expect were the vast variety of different artists and songs from the era that would be covered. Indeed the Spice Girls really only make a cursory appearance to tease us a little before they launch a spectacular musical journey through too many classics to count. Expect Shania, Christina, Britney, to name a few - and expect them hard. Though solo songs are few and far between and really more character based for comedy value rather than beautifully sung, the girls really stretch their legs musically with some excellent harmony work and even an impressive a Cappella section.
This show was everything 14 year-old me hoped it would be and more. I would suggest that the standing ovation they received at the end would prove that others agree.
