MUSICAL phenomenon The Band unwittingly transports you back in time to an era when teenage girls were more likely to take a disposable camera than a selfie and Top of the Pops was a place to feed your boyband infatuation.

Funny and fabulous and with a storyline fixated on friendship, The Band ticks all the boxes if you are looking for an evening of laughter – but there is an undertone of sadness that will make you question the friendships you have lost during your own life.

After making its world premiere at Manchester Opera House in September 2017, The Band is back and it didn't disappoint.

The show tells the story of a group of five teenage girls whose lives revolve around a pop band, played by Five to Five who were chosen through the TV show Let It Shine.

But fast forward 25 years and the girls have drifted apart after their lives led them down different paths.

Take That's greatest hits form the soundtrack of the show, rather than the storyline.
Songs include Never Forget, Back for Good, A Million Love Songs, Greatest Day. The Flood, Relight My Fire, Shine and Rule the World.

Olivier award-winning writer Tim Firth is no stranger to penning a script and his natural talent is evident throughout the show, transporting you to an era when you feel like you can Shine.

If you aren't singing along to the steady stream of tunes, you will undoubtedly be clapping along in your seat or even jumping to your feet to dance to the hits.

Albeit short lived, make sure you have the tissues close by as this show takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions.

Friendship is at the heart of the musical and it is clear from the enthusiasm on stage that the cast has developed a great camaraderie off stage as well. 

They are a talented bunch that will make you laugh, cry and reach for your invisible microphone all at the same time. 

The Band runs until Saturday, January 26 at The Lowry in Salford Quays. To book tickets call 0843 208 6005 or visit thelowry.com.