REVIEW: FRIENDS! THE MUSICAL PARODY @ NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE

🎭 FRIENDS! The Musical Parody

📍 New Wimbledon Theatre, 93 The Broadway, Wimbledon, London, SW19 1QG

🗓 Tuesday 20th January 2026

⭐️ 1 Star

THE ONE THAT RUINED FRIENDS

There is a specific brand of theatrical purgatory reserved for parody musicals that mistakes frantic mugging for wit and recognition for comedy. FRIENDS! THE MUSICAL PARODY, currently screeching its way across the UK and playing all this week at the New Wimbledon Theatre, isn't just a cynical cash-grab, it's a relentless two hour assault on the senses that manages to make a beloved sitcom feel like ancient, dusty history.

There's no denying that I was excited to see this show, but when the Warm Up Guy at the beginning made it feel more like a night at Butlins than an evening at the theatre, the show got off to a bad start from which it never recovered.

The premise is so thin that it could be blown away by a gentle breeze. Six actors (who work remarkably hard with the dross they've been given) inhabit the archetypes of Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe. But rather than offering any satirical bite or clever subversion, the script merely shouts catchphrases at the audience until they succumb to a sort of weary Stockholm Syndrome. "We were on a break!" "Pivot!" "How you doin'?" If you've seen the TV show, you've seen the musical. It is nothing more than a Wikipedia summary set to a series of forgettable, tinny melodies.

The direction is of the "more is more" school of thought, where every joke is underlined, bolded, and then screamed into a megaphone. The nuances of the original characters - yes, they did have some - are flattened into screeching caricatures. Rachel is a vapid hairpiece, Ross is a nasal whine in trousers, and Phoebe is reduced to "quirky" gesticulations and weird inhuman noises that quickly become exhausting.

While the cast clearly possesses vocal talent, it is squandered on songs that serve no narrative purpose other than remind us of plot points we already know. When the highlight of the evening is the interval, you know the production is in trouble.

The writers have seemingly tried to squeeze 10 seasons into 2 hours which gives us a mismatch that doesn't make sense. We get to season 10 before Monica and Chandler even get engaged! Other sitcom to stage adaptations do things much better and slicker. Fawlty Towers amalgamates 3 episodes, and Only Fools and Horses picks out key moments from the series. FRIENDS! THE MUSICAL PARODY tries to include absolutely everything so the random shouting out of things just to they are included is just bonkers. By the time the chick and goose puppets started singing in Act 2, I was detached, bored, annoyed, and just wanted to go home.

Everything about this production felt cheap. The set design was basic, and seeing it wheeled on and moved around by the crew was poor. Scene changes were clunky and disjointed, and the filler scenes were bad. The lighting design felt lazy and uninspired, and having follow spots chasing actors around and leaving them in darkness was inexcusable from a professional production.

I couldn't tell if the music was pre-recorded or being played live because of the poor sound quality. It sounded to me as if it wasn't live, and at times the levels were all wrong. This meant I couldn't hear what was being sung. Was that necessarily a bad thing? I'm not sure to be honest.

The audience around me, largely clad in "Central Perk" hoodies, seemed to enjoy the nostalgic dopamine hits, but theatre should be more than a live-action meme generator. I identify as a huge FRIENDS geek too but in an era where parody can be sharp, subversive, and genuinely musical, this feels like a dated relic.

This production constantly chases cheap laughs, and insults both the original show and the fans. Throw in some homophobic jokes and a whole song that does nothing but fat shame, and things get constantly worse.

A smattering of audience members stood up at the end, with the rest only joining when told to do so by the cast. If people don't get to their feet organically then it creates a false euphoria when they're forced to do so.

By the time the inevitable fountain-themed finale arrived, I wasn't clapping along, I was looking for the nearest exit. To quote the theme song: "No one told me life was gonna be this way." If they had, I'd have stayed at home and watched FRIENDS on DVD instead.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one person.

My ticket for this performance of Friends: The Musical Parody was gifted by New Wimbledon Theatre who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.

CAST LIST:

Amelia Atherton as Phoebe Buffay; Alicia Belgarde as Monica Geller; Enzo Benvenliti as Ross Geller; Ronnie Burden as Joey Tribbiani; Eva Hope as Rachel Green; Daniel Parkinson as Chandler Bing; Edward Leigh as Warm Up Guy / Gunther / Tom Selleck / Paolo

Ensemble: Meg Darcy; Lottie Lester; Harry Mallaghan; Jared Thompson

RUNNING TIME (approx):

2 hours 10 minutes, including interval

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Sexual references; Adult humour

AGE RECOMMENDATION:

13 +

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