With Accessories To Match: A Review of The Devil Wears Prada Musical

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The Devil Wears Prada, another iconic 90s-2000s “chick-flick” and one of my favourite films, has recently premiered as a brand new West End musical. With music by Elton John, I had very high expectations but this production proved to me that it has the power and beauty of a hit musical, with the accessories to match. 

Firstly, the aesthetic of the musical was tackled in a very interesting way. Glossy and chic, every design choice seemed to have been very carefully chosen to match the fashion magazine vibe of the entire production. Right down to the show programme, made to look like a spring issue. Even the foyer of the Dominion was dressed to perfection with modelling photos and curated mannequins. There were many lighting states that reflected this too, with clean white shapes or pops of bright colour. I certainly got the chic-ness of the magazine, but Runway is also meant to have editorial photoshoots, eye-catching spreads and heaps of drama, sexiness and beauty. I came to the show to be immersed in this insane fashion magazine, to be turned on by this beautifully powerful industry and to understand why I should love FASHION. 

Fashion is an art form. And I just didn’t see enough art. 

However, the last scene of Act One, which takes place at what is effectively the Met Gala, served me this and more. A huge, ornate gold staircase reveals itself and Vanessa Williams, as Miranda Priestly, floats down it dressed in a stunning deep red gown and overcoat. With the lusty reds, glamorous golds and sensual feminine power, I was almost frothing at the mouth. Casting Vanessa Williams in this role was a phenomenal choice. Her elegance and feistiness mix easily to create the perfect “Dragon Lady”, although I would have loved to see more of Miranda’s true passion for her job and the industry, as, once again, I wanted this to be my initiation into the world of high fashion. 

Williams’ co-star, Georgie Buckland was also incredible as the protagonist Andy. In her West End debut, she owned the stage in all of her numbers with tons of energy, spice and humour. Stand out songs included the Act One closer, ‘Miranda Girl’, and the finale song, ‘What’s Right For Me?’, where she gave us stunning belts and plenty of emotion. This level of talent and wit could also be seen in the performance of Amy DiMartino as the snarky and passionate ‘first assistant’ Emily. The pre-show announcement to switch off our phones was probably one of my favourite scenes and the show hadn’t even started yet. Emily’s curt, overly British accent actively ripping into single members of the audience for daring to bring a ‘fake Louis Vuitton handbag” into the auditorium was spectacular. 

Most of the songs are memorable and they’re all lyrically and sonically punchy and fun. There were a few that truly took me by surprise like the raunchy duet, “I Only Love You For Your Body” performed by Andy and Nate and the hilariously petty “Bon Voyage” from Emily. There actually weren’t many songs that were paired with dance numbers, which, with weaker music, may have diluted the overall effect. It’s just lucky that these songs were effective enough to perhaps not need a large chorus of dancers to boost the energy. It may not have been the most exciting choice to miss out on a lot of high-energy and visually impressive dance, but it wasn’t entirely noticeable in the moment. 

Overall, this production was very enjoyable with some beautiful acting and voice work from the cast. The aesthetic was clean and consistent, the songs energetic and full of strong humour. The jokes always landed and the costumes always hit the brief. A few let downs in the choreography and occasionally some uninspiring design, but generally very well put together. 


17th May, Dominion Theatre


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