📍Dominion Theatre, London

⭐ ⭐ ⭐

It’s a classic pub conversation that I relish in: Which is the next iconic film to deserve a stage musical adaptation? Which beloved characters deserve a rousing 11 o’clock number; which cinematic landscape lends itself to sprawling set designs and lavish costumes? We’ve seen the transition from film to stage executed to perfection in musicals such as Legally Blonde, and we’ve seen it fall flat (looking at you, Spiderman). For the record, my first pick will always be The Princess Bride. I’ll admit that I had never seen The Devil Wears Prada as requiring a new life as a musical – but with Elton John at the helm, the idea suddenly made a lot of sense.

The Devil Wears Prada opening at the Dominion Theatre has been the premiere of the year with the buzz aplenty. I bought my tickets back in April (!) and followed along with all of the little nuggets and teasers along the way to the opening. And attending the musical itself felt like an event. The shoe sitting proudly atop the theatre’s entrance: instantly iconic. The Dominion’s transformation into ‘Runway’ magazine headquarters, complete with neon sign and costume replicas on display had us squealing as we made our way to our seats. It all felt appropriately high drama.

With book by Kate Wetherhead, music by Elton John with lyrics by Shaina Taub and Mark Sonnenblick, The Devil Wears Prada follows its predecessor film almost to the letter. Every deliciously quotable line sits in the expected place, and the design concept creatively brings to life the Manhattan setting of the ‘Runway’ Headquarters. Like the film, The Devil Wears Prada follows aspiring writer Andrea (Georgie Buckland) as she struggles to get a job in the big smoke, eventually taking on a junior position as the second assistant to fashion editor titan Miranda Priestley (Vanessa Williams) with revered fashion magazine Runway. The story follows Andrea (Andy) as she discovers the cut throat world of fashion as Miranda pushes her to her limits – both professionally and morally.

The performances are first class: Georgie Buckland shines as Andy, bringing a gutsy determination to the character as she showcases strong vocals. The music sits happily in her range as she fills the Dominion with a clean and striking belt.  Vanessa Williams does superbly well to make arguably one of the most iconic characters of cinema from the past twenty years her own with her take on ice queen Miranda Priestley. The casting here must be applauded; many will know Vanessa Williams from her role in Ugly Betty, where she played a similarly haughty boss to plucky starter Betty. In no way is Williams a knock off or mimic of Meryl Streep. Instead there is suitable homage paid within her own spin on the character. For me, it worked perfectly; she commanded the stage with her frostiness with every scene she was in. The stand out performance of the evening though, was Amy Di Bartolomeo as Emily. From the pre-show moment of her snapping at the audience to turn off their phones (tone = perfectly set), if she was on stage it was impossible to watch anyone else. The opening number of Act Two ‘Bon Voyage’, which began with Emily post-car accident in hospital and surrounded by ‘hot nurses’, was probably the highlight of the entire evening, in one of the rare moments of additional character development where the show boldly veered away from its source material.
Something else I loved about the show, was that it felt like a properly huge ensemble extravaganza. Tim Hatley’s set design feels bold and grand, recreating the Manhatten skyline with as much finesse and nuance as he did Andy and Nate’s pokey apartment. The costumes by Gregg Barnes brought to life the colourful world of high couture fashion, and helped to mark the character development and transition of Andy throughout the story. And of course the ensemble costumes cascading down the Met Gala steps at the end of Act One ranged from astonishing to jaw-dropping in what was undoubtedly the visual highlight of the show.  

Everything was fun and glitzy alongside an array of catchy tunes. However, something just didn’t quite fit. I found myself leaving the theatre feeling somewhat indifferent. What great movie-to-musical adaptations have done in the past has been to re-vitalise the source material into something new and exciting. The question must always be asked of a movie adaptation – why now? Why this format? And there wasn’t much to inspire an answer after watching The Devil Wears Prada. Perhaps it was the disconnect between the music and the tone created through universe of the show (the country-pop twang of the titular number at the Met Gala felt at odds with the opulent and operatic visuals), or that the script felt lifted from the film without enough diversion from this, but while the show as a whole was as fun and as camp as you’d expect, it lacked heart. What’s more surprising is that the writer of Legally Blonde – the pinnacle of movie-cum-musical – was behind the book for The Devil Wears Prada. So perhaps the issue lies within the story itself. The film was a clever commentary on the world of high fashion and the immense sacrifice it requires; a glimpse behind the curtain of the world’s most powerful and beautiful people whose lives are too impossibly glamorous to comprehend, yet simultaneously sad and empty. The lens through which the musical is viewed instead focuses too much on the de-moralisation of Andy in a manner that is not successfully redeemed enough by our protagonist at the end of Act Two.

The Devil Wears Prada is a fun night out, and I’m sure that fans of the film will certainly feel satisfied. Elton John’s catchy bops, which feel reminiscent of some of his earlier work, will stay in your ears after the show, but perhaps leave you feeling little more.  

🎟️ The Devil Wears Prada is currently booking until October, 2025

Tickets and information: https://devilwearspradamusical.com/