Back to the Future: The Musical
- Gavin with a "G"
- May 30
- 2 min read
The American1985 science fiction film reimagined as a musical in London's West End. Great for young teens, families and fans of the film.
The Theatre: The Adelphi Theatre, 409-412 Strand, London WC2R 0NS
Age restrictions: Recommended for ages 6+. Children under 3 will not be admitted.
Running time: 2 hours 40 minutes (including interval)
The Creative Team: The show is written by Bob Gale, with new music and lyrics by Emmy and Grammy Award-winning Alan Silvestri and six-time Grammy Award-winning Glen Ballard, with additional songs from the film including The Power of Love and Johnny B. Goode.
Back to the Future: The Musical is a musical with music and lyrics by Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard and a book by Bob Gale. It is adapted from the 1985 film Back to the Future by Robert Zemeckis and Gale. The show features original music, as well as songs featured in the film ("The Power of Love", "Earth Angel", "Johnny B. Goode" and "Back in Time").
The film and its two sequels were box office successes, taking in over $936 million at the box office. In the United Kingdom, the popularity of the film had been boosted by its television broadcasts on Christmas or Boxing Day for several years starting in 1988. Back to the Future is considered a landmark of American cinema, and one of the greatest films ever made. In 2004, The New York Times listed it as one of the 1,000 Best Movies Ever, and the following year its screenplay was listed as the 56th greatest screenplay of the preceding 75 years by the Writers Guild of America.
The main theme of Back to the Future concerns parental relationships, fate, taking control and personal responsibility over one's destiny: A situation can be changed even if it seems otherwise impossible to overcome.
The production is billed as “appropriate for those 6 and up.” At a running time of 2 hours and 40 minutes it may be a little long for the young ones, but there are enough spectacular effects that this may not be a problem. I took my fourteen year old nephew, who loved it! It is fast -paced show with many different styles of music from the 1950's and the 1980's. There are also lots of scene changes and fabulous stage effects. The true star of the show is DeLorean and the scenes in which it speeds through the streets and through time, with a surprising moment at the end of the show.
Final Thoughts: Back to the Future: The Musical is a great family show which will delight anyone who loves farcical, outlandish and quirky stories and who has a special liking for special effects. Don’t expect a deep thought-provoking tale or sublime music. This isn’t a show for that. Go! Sit back and enjoy the hijinks! Escape from reality! Laugh, clap and jump up at the end for the required standing ovation!
For more information about performance and ticket prices visit: Back to the Future: The Musical
TKTS London is a great place to look for discount theatre tickets for London's West End. The famous TKTS booth is in the heart of Leicester Square and open seven days a week. For more information visit: TKTS London - Last Minute Theatre Tickets | OLT
