I’m going to start this with quite a bold statement. Club Tropicana is probably the funniest Musical I have ever seen.

Yes I said it. I feel it’s deserved given I belly laughed at 80% of the show.

Club Tropicana is Benidorm meets Fawlty Towers.

It’s a simple love story really. Lorraine gets cold feet on her wedding day and so jilts her husband to be, Olly. Both decide to head off to Spain to remedy their broken hearts and top up their tan but end up at the same hotel. The establishment is also undergoing an inspection, which adds extra mayhem to the anti honeymoon.  

Looking for another funny musical, check out my review of Fat Friends!

I’m a fake 80s child

Now, I may have just missed out on being an 80s child but I for sure still grew up with its synthetic sounds and this Musical fast forwards through 24 of the best hits. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Take On Me, Just Can’t Get Enough and Relax, to name a few. It’s the best mix tape in town.

What else do you think of when it comes to this wild decade? Far out fashion. And Club Tropicana does not shy away from OTT costumes. Neon colours, padded shoulders, permed hair and cycling shorts under skirts (how was that a trend!?) all make an appearance. I couldn’t wait to see what came out on stage. I also loved the nods to things like gigantic mobile phones and travellers cheques.

The choreography is super high energy too. Red bull anyone? The non stop movement helps to keep a snappy pace. We were even invited to join the party at times!

An electric cast!

Joe McElderry blew me away. Boy, does he sparkle and shine in Club Tropicana. He is the epitome of a cheesy club rep; desperately happy with a permanent pearly white smile and boundless enthusiasm. He is hilarious. And obviously vocally proper talented.

Kate Robbins (Consuela) turns her ‘bit’ part into the ‘biggest’ comedy driver. Emily Tierny (Christine) is a fantastic villain, Amelle Berrabah (Serena) has my favourite voice of the night and Karina Hind (Lorraine) is the perfect lead. To be honest, the whole cast are incredible. They totally get the amount of tongue in cheek humour this Musical needs to work.

Club Tropicana is pure 80’s gold.

The comedy is as cheap as the happy hour cocktails (that’s not a negative) and will make you howl as though you’ve had six too many.

It totally embodies the madness of the era. So make sure you book into this unforgettable holiday hotel for a riot of a time.  

Club Tropicana is playing at Manchester Opera House until 8 June 2019 and touring all around the UK.