There was a reshuffle on the press night of Greatest Days at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre when the actors taking the two lead roles – Kym Marsh and her daughter Emilie Cunliffe – were unable to perform.

Stepping more than ably into their shoes were Rachel Marwood playing the older Rachel and Evangeline Jarvis Jones playing the younger Rachel. And both lead a cast of women who the audience immediately warm to and in which, many will recognise themselves.

Tim Firth’s musical, set to Take That songs, tells the story of five teenagers who are in love with an unnamed boy band and who seal their friendship on a night in which one of them wins a competition to see the group. Adrenaline-flowing and excited after the gig, the girls promise they will be friends forever.

But when we meet the older Rachel, 25 years later, we see that the girls’ lives and friendships haven’t panned out quite the way they planned. When the older Rachel wins tickets to see the band in Athens it’s a chance for the friends to reform and share their lives.

Originally toured as The Band, the show has been rebranded as Greatest Days and coincides with a film release of the same name. There are some small tweaks to the story as the women now head off to Athens instead of Prague to see the band but essentially it’s the same show.

Packed full of Take That songs, fans of the band and pretty much anyone who remembers the nineties will enjoy a series of hits including Rule the World, Patience, Shine, Never Forget, Pray, The Flood and Greatest Day.

But it has to be said that this production lacks the wow factor of the original tour which came to the Midlands in 2018. While the female cast are really strong across the board, the guys making up the band just don’t have that wow factor. This needs to be a band so amazing these girls are totally obsessed by them and yet, while their dance moves are full of energy, they haven’t quite got the punch.

Furthermore Lucy Osborne’s sets feel like they’ve been created on a budget. Where the original had aeroplanes and fancy stadiums this largely has a series of rotating steps which double up as rocks, the aeroplane steps and a concert hall.

That’s not to say the show isn’t enjoyable. The story is heart-warming, reminding us all of the importance of friendship, the live music is played with lots of zest and it’s hard not to fall for the Take That hits. A fun night out, you don’t need to be a Take That fan to enjoy the story and the performances.

Three stars

Reviewed by Diane Parkes on Monday 17 July at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, where the show runs until Saturday 22 July.