Made in Dagenham: The 10th Anniversary Concert- London Palladium

*This production was for one night only*

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the hit musical which is based on the film of the same name, this staged concert version inspired by the 1968 Ford factory strike starred Pixie Lott as Rita O'Grady, working mum and Ford machinist who leads the sewing room workers of Ford's factory in Dagenham, Essex in the fight for equal pay and proper recognition in the workplace on hearing that their salary class is about to be reclassified as "unskilled". However, they face unprecedented resistance from their managers, their union - and sometimes even from their own husbands. With each other for support, they press on in their battle against sexual discrimination - balancing their incredible struggle with the unrelenting demands of their own family lives.

As a staged concert, there was no set or choreography so to speak and only the essential dialogue to drive the story was maintained along with the vocal numbers. However, this production lost none of its grit, drive, determination or sparkle in getting its still relevant message across to the audience. Backed by a strong ensemble who carried off complex harmonies and backing vocals with great ease and a full visible band, the production quality was of the highest calibre.

No stranger to the stage, Pixie Lott really came into her own as the unrelenting and passionate Ford machinist Rita O'Grady. Lott packed just the right amount of punch, passion and strength into her impassioned speeches to really convey a woman who would not stop until she got what she felt all women deserved: equal pay. Her emotional range really shone through, particularly in the moments of vulnerability in almost losing her family and Connie's written speech before giving an impassioned impromptu version to the union meeting (Stand Up).

The real star in this performance was by far Bonnie Langford, who played the newly elected First Secretary of State Barbra Castle, who backs Rita and her friends in the fight for equal pay for women. Langford's powerhouse vocals were out in full force in her solo number An Ideal World and was met with thunderous applause, She fully encapsulated the starkly realistic yet fully supportive MP who was not afraid to challenge the status quo, with an excellent sense of humour and a no-nonsense attitude to boot.

Unfortunately, the excellent staging (choreographed by Bibi Jay), narrative and performance was completely let down by exceptionally poor sound quality. The audio mix was entirely off balance throughout meaning that solo moments were often completely drowned out by backing vocals (or indeed ensemble vocals lost entirely at times) and, although the performers were audible, it was impossible to understand their lines. Additionally, microphones on stands were a poor choice for this production as the start and ends of lines were often lost due to the performers needing to adjust the stand's height or positioning; they also hindered on-stage interactions and with the blocking at times because only slight movements left the performers outside the pickup radius.

Overall, Made in Dagenham is a humorous, tender and heart-warming tale of triumph of adversity which is still hugely important today, performed by a slick and strong supporting cast and fronted by a pair of dynamic, powerful and emotive leading ladies. And as we all know: if you want something done, ask a busy woman!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐