Walsh and McGuiness in “Sleepless.”
The musical Sleepless: A Musical Romance, based on the 1993 film Sleepless in Seattle, opened September 1 at London’s Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre to mixed reviews. The creative team includes Michael Burdette (book), Robert Scott (music), Brendan Cull (lyrics), Morgan Young (direction), Morgan Large (sets), Sue Simmerling (costumes), Ken Billington (lights), Ian William Galloway (video), Simon Biddulph (sound), Larry Blank (orchestrations), Chris Walker (music direction), and Richard Mawbey (wigs and hair). The cast includes Jay McGuiness (Sam), Kimberley Walsh (Annie), Charlie Bull (Victoria), Daniel Casey (Walter), Harriet Thorpe (Eleanor), Tania Mathurin (Becky), Cory English (Rob), in addition to Colin Burnicle, Christie-Lee Crosson, Laura Darton, Leanne Garretty, Matt Holland, Ross McLaren, Gary Murphy, Dominique Planter, Annie Wensak, Benjamin Wong, with Theo Collis, Mikey Colville, Jobe Hart, and Jack Reynolds rotating as Jonah.
Arts Desk (Marianka Swain): The premise of the show also lends itself to the era of social distancing, with a pair of lovers who seldom occupy the same physical space. More resonant, too, is the deep sense of loss. … The flipside is that it’s challenging to land the “com” of this romcom. … This production essentially trades off nostalgic affection for Sleepless in Seattle. Yet there’s also nostalgic joy in simply attending an actual fully-fledged musical, in a theatre, with other people: bliss! Treacly it may be, but this feel-good Sleepless does offer sweet dreams. 3 out of 5 stars
Evening Standard (Nick Curtis): It’s stodgy, but this musical adaptation of Sleepless In Seattle feels like a sweet treat in showbiz-starved times. … The first large-scale indoor production to open with an audience since March. It’s a remarkable feat. Cast and crew were tested every day, seating capacity has been cut by two thirds, and Morgan Young’s well drilled production features subtle distancing. … It is a joy to watch McGuiness take Walsh’s hand and whirl her around in the finale. Such a simple act: so affecting now. 3 out of 5 stars
Guardian (Arifa Akbar): Dear Sleepless, … This isn’t the love letter I had hoped to send. It’s frustrating because you seemed so right on paper. … But I just didn’t feel a charge this time around and I hope it won’t hurt your feelings too much to say that my heart didn’t miss any beats. … It all feels like they – you – are going through the motions, not driven by passion and yearning. … As Annie says in the show, “All those stars, they’re just stars, they don’t mean a thing.” But for me, you are probably a two out of five.
London Theatre 1 (Chris Omaweng): The show takes a while to get going, but patience is rewarded for those who like a bit of razzmatazz. … It’s an unlikely success story as a musical, constrained as it is by a narrative that dictates that the (eventual) central love interests, Sam and Annie, spend a considerable amount of time with respective significant others, Victoria (Charlie Bull) and Walter (Daniel Casey) respectively. That said, the story’s ending lends itself well to musical theatre. … Not quite ‘Weepy in Wembley’ – it has its poignant moments, but I left the theatre with a smile on my face. 4 stars
New York Times (Matt Wolf): Sleepless: A Musical Romance … is more noteworthy for what it represents than for the show itself: London’s first fully staged indoor musical since the coronavirus pandemic. … And for that at least, three cheers. It helps that the musical has as its source Sleepless in Seattle … that is unusual for keeping its romantically inclined leads apart until the very end. The result builds into the plot a geographical separation that chimes with our socially distanced age. … You leave Sleepless pleased that it happened, and restless for more and better theater to come.