Bank of Dave - You can sure bank on a great night at the theatre

★★★★★

Turning the story of self-made Burnley banker Dave Fishwick into a musical was always going to be an ambitious ask.

The cast of Bank of Dave, photo by Marc Brenner

Almost as ambitious as a white van salesman attempting to open the first bank in 150 years and donating all profit to local charities. And this (mostly) true musical sure is ambitious (complimentary). The team - in my eyes, a dream trio of writers Rob Madge, Pippa Cleary and director Nikolai Foster - have thrown absolutely everything at it. Good news is, it has mostly all stuck. Bold as brass and bright as owt (if the lancs can excuse the Yorkshire-ness), the result is a genuinely laugh-out-loud new musical that you can really buy into.

As Dave, Sam Lupton commands the stage with ease, supported by pocket-rocket wife Nicky (a bright Hayley Tamaddon) and a myriad of colourful characters, including the penny-pinching sherry-drinking Mavis (Hannah Nuttall is brilliant) and other locals including a tap dancing teacher and burrito seller, and that's before you meet drag Cher and the royal family. All great fans of Burnley, apparently.

The multi-roling ensemble create a whole community beaming with pride as they gather in the local watering hole, the Talbot. Amy Jane Cook's set effectively uses a television box flicking between the darts to karaoke among other small details that feel homely, while a curtain of fringe streamers add a touch of retro glam. Video screens (designed by Duncan McLean) line the doll-house style design of the pub, projecting news reports, history lessons and more. Cook has also been busy on the costume; there are dancing rats, burlesque pigs, and sassy singing SatNavs to contend with.

Madge and Cleary's adoration for musical theatre shine through with a penchant for writing a catchy tune. Act one closer "Can You Hear The Mill" has all the bravado of a "One Day More" while the big ensemble numbers have the knees-up appeal of Come From Away and protest songs almost scream to "Stick it to the Man". In one standout scene, the rich boys club, led by Samuel Holmes as a panto villain Sir Charles Denbigh, effectively "Get Down" a la Six to a hilarious number while wearing bedazzled caps reading 'RAH' and 'ETON'. Overall, the tunes are anthemic and uplifting with a proper sense of humour. They rhyme gammon with salmon, but it's all in knowing jest, performed with a wink alongside references to La La Land and Miss Saigon (Dave, too, has a chopper). At times, the sound mix is a bit muffled, with voices often getting lost in the joviality.

Foster however, has shaped the musical around Hugh. Lucca Chadwick-Patel gives a rousing performance as the Paddington-Beary well-mannered London lawyer charmed by life up t'north, helped in parts by meeting overstretched but vivacious NHS worker, Alex (Lauryn Redding shows off her pipes). He too has a massive voice, among other things alluded to throughout act two. On that, there are a touch too many cheap jokes, with dialogue reduced to being overly potty-mouthed in search of easy laughs. But all is forgiven in favour of simply enjoying spending time in the company of these well-drawn, impeccably performed characters who welcome you whole-heartedly, open-armed into their world with a brew waiting.

Bank of Dave is crackers, but you can bank on having a great night out.