Review | Glorious | Hope Mill Theatre | 05/03/2025
- Jonathan Rawlinson
- Mar 6
- 2 min read
Imagine being known as the worst singer in the world but still getting the opportunity to perform at New York's prestigious Carnegie Hall. This was a pinnacle moment in Florence Foster Jenkins' life back in 1944, a story almost too unbelievable to believe it really happened. Premiering in Birmingham in 2005, 'Glorious' received an Olivier nomination for its West End transfer; it is now being revived at the Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester.
Wendi Peters delivers a hilariously heartwarming performance as Florence. The abundance of self-confidence should be nauseating, but she injects so much energy and camp that you can’t help but fall in love with the character. Her blissful ignorance regarding her questionable vocal abilities is absolutely hilarious to watch play out.
She is accompanied (quite literally) on stage by Charlie Hiscock as Cosme, her pianist, who acts as the narrator for her story. Despite being perplexed when they first meet, they form an unlikely friendship. The cast is completed by Anita Booth, who wonderfully multi-roles as a host of other characters.
Harking back to the comedy of classic sit-coms, you could almost be watching Hyacinth Bucket with an American accent, which is no bad thing. When we hear Florence sing, it often sounds more like a collection of noisy dog toys being squeezed in Pets at Home in the best possible way. It’s quite a talent to sing poorly whilst not sounding like you’re trying to, and Peters excelled in this regard. We feel her self-confidence shine through with her hilarious facial expressions amplifying the comedy in these moments.
The issue is, however well executed this is, once the audience becomes familiar with the joke, it becomes repetitive and loses its impact. Alongside the book lacking the depth I longed for, the second act sadly doesn’t live up to the joy and hilarity of the first. Had it been condensed slightly and reformatted into a one-act show, it could have landed so much stronger.
While not without its flaws, there is much to enjoy in ‘Glorious’. The performances are superb across the board and the message of pursuing your own happiness lands particularly well. I was just left wanting a little bit more from it, as it has the potential to be truly ‘Glorious.’
Glorious plays at Hope Mill Theatre until Sunday 30 March 2025, see link below for booking details.
Note: My ticket was gifted in exchange for an honest review