Review: GLORIOUS!, UK Tour
Chris Davis
There is a specific kind of magic in watching a performer work twice as hard to be "bad." In Peter Quilter’s Glorious!, currently gracing the stage at the Theatre Royal Windsor, that magic is personified by the incomparable Wendi Peters. This production, directed with a light and loving touch by Kirk Jameson, reminds us that passion often trumps pitch.
As Florence Foster Jenkins, the 1940s socialite whose confidence far outstripped her vocal range, Wendi Peters is a revelation. It is an immense technical challenge to sing intentionally off-key while maintaining the character’s earnestness, yet Peters carries it off with superb composure. She infuses Florence with a delightful "Hyacinth Bucket" energy - a blend of social grandeur and blissful unawareness that Patricia Routledge would surely applaud. Peters isn't just playing a joke; she’s playing a woman who genuinely hears a nightingale when she opens her mouth. It is a warm, towering performance that cements her status as a top-tier leading lady.
The production thrives on its intimate cast and streamlined design, proving you don't need a sprawling set to fill a room with joy. Matthew James Morrison provides the perfect foil as Cosme McMoon, Florence’s long-suffering yet eventually devoted pianist. His comic timing and expressive reactions serve as the audience’s entry point into Florence’s eccentric world. Sioneed Jones (Dorothy) and Caroline Gruber (pulling double duty as Maria and Mrs. Verrinder Gedge) provide excellent comedic support, rounding out a world that feels both grounded and wonderfully absurd.
While the script is undeniably hilarious-frequently prompting roars of laughter from the Windsor audience - the real triumph of this production is its heart. As Florence moves toward her legendary sold out performance at Carnegie Hall, the play shifts from a comedy about a bad singer to a tribute to an indomitable spirit. By the final curtain, you aren't just laughing at her; you're rooting for her. As Florence herself famously said: “People may say I can't sing, but no one can ever say I didn't sing.”
Glorious! is theatre at its finest- a celebratory, funny, and touching night out that proves you don't need to be perfect to be a star.
**** Four Stars
Reviewed by Ryan Bishop
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