I WIsh You Well - The Gwyneth Paltrow Ski-Trial Musical
Book and Lyrics by Roger Dipper and Rick Pearson
Directed by Shiv Radheru
Underbelly George Square, Udderbelly
Edinburgh Festival Fringe 10 August 2024
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Gwyneth Paltrow is already an uber-famous Academy Award winning actor and entrepreneur, but her star shines even more brightly this Edinburgh Festival season with not one but two new shows dedicated to her now infamous "skiing incident" debuting at the festival. While the other zany offering 'Gwyneth Goes Skiing' is a hilarious comedy play, 'I Wish You Well' is an all-out musical theatre production complete with live band, brilliant songs and a stellar West End cast.
When Gwyneth Paltrow collided with retired eye doctor Terry Sanderson (or was it the other way around?) on the ski slopes of Utah in 2016, what followed was a ridiculously bizarre trial crying out to be parodied. Packed full of iconic moments, questions about Taylor Swift, and the now famous whisper of 'I Wish You Well' – this new musical tells the almost true story of the courtroom and the characters that made for the craziest celebrity trial in recent memory.
Whilst undoubtedly a fringe production - this musical runs for 60 minutes, has minimal set and a cast of four - it is nonetheless a brilliantly directed, beautifully lit, polished display of exciting new writing. The show makes full use of the space inside the big upside-down cow (the Udderbelly) at Underbelly, George Square. There is an excellent live band elevated above the stage floor and, for me personally, live music always enhances the theatre-going experience. The songs and lyrics are inspired with big bouncy numbers such as ‘Do You Know Taylor?' and 'I'm Gwynnocent' filling the room with glee. It's unusual for a new musical to be full of songs that instantly land with the audience, but that's what happened here.
The day I saw 'I Wish You Well' was the first ever sold-out performance for this production and the atmosphere was electric. The musical opens with immediate high-energy and a full-steam-ahead number and it does not let up for the next hour. If you are looking for a show to zap you awake and fill your heart with joyous disco beats, this is the one. The vitality from the stage bounced into the audience; rarely have I seen such an energetic and enthusiastic crowd at a brand new show.
That joyous ambience is in large part thanks to the outstanding performances from the magnificent cast: Marc Antolin, Idriss Kargbo, Tori Allen Martin and Diana Vickers all bring their A-game. Their comic timing, sprightly interpretation of already larger than life characters and stunning singing voices make for a top-quality quartet. They do joke about this being a fringe production and being unable to afford more actors, but the cast diligently play to all three sides of the auditorium and prove they are more than enough to fill the stage, tell the story and keep the crowd entertained.
I Wish You Well is choreographed by the legendary Dame Arlene Phillips - and it shows. The cast are kept on their toes the entire time with engaging, upbeat choreography, and Idriss Kargbo brought the house down with his wonderfully joyous solo. Five stars for his death drop alone! Wow.
I'm sure with a larger budget and all the trappings that come with that - more space, sets, costumes and running time - this musical could grow into something even more impressive. But for a fringe production of a brand-new musical, it doesn't get any better than this. Gwyncredible.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
💜 I WIsh You Well plays at Underbelly George Square, Udderbelly until 26 August 2024. And it has just been announced that I Wish You Well will transfer to London's Criterion Theatre from September 2024! | jump to listings info here
📸 production photos: Mark Senior
🍽️ Read my review of Come Dine With Me: The Musical! here - Paul Taylor Mills other brand new musical debuting at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024
I Wish You Well Cast & Creatives
Performed by Marc Antolin, Idriss Kargbo, Tori Allen Martin and Diana Vickers
Book and lyrics by Roger Dipper and Rick Pearson
Directed by Shiv Rabheru
Choreography by Arlene Phillips
Musical Director Debbi Clark
Associate Director & Choreographer Tino Sibanda
Commissioning Producer Ben Lockwood
Lighting by Alex Lewer
Designed by David Shields
Sound Design by Dan Samson
Casting by Seth Mason
I Wish You Well 2024 Edinburgh dates & tickets
Venue: Underbelly George Square (Udderbelly) George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9LH
Dates: 31 - 26 August 2024 (not 12) 17:45 (18:45)
Aug 3-6, 9-11, 16-18, 23-25 | £20.00 (£19.00)
Aug 7-8, 13-15, 19-22, 26 | £17.00 (£16.00)
Box office: 0131 510 0395 | underbellyedinburgh.co.uk
⌚ Running time: 60 minutes | ⚠️ Age Recommendation 12+
I Wish You Well London details & tickets
This section contains affiliate links. Learn more about our affiliate policy and partnerships here.
I Wish You Well
Criterion Theatre, 218-223 Piccadilly, St James's, London W1V 9LB
from Wednesday 11th September 2024
🎟️ There are currently no booking fees on I Wish You Well tickets via LOVEtheatre:
I Wish You Well - The Gwyneth Paltro Ski-Trial Musical review, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024, Diana Vickers, Paul Taylor-Mills, Underbelly.
📸 Find Lisa in the Theatre on Instagram and Twitter / X
🎟️ Disclosure: I am an Edinburgh Festival Fringe accredited media reviewer and as such I receive complimentary press tickets in exchange for my honest reviews. My reviews and star ratings are always my honest opinions.
Comments