The Take That Experience

Photo by Nicola Forsdyke

Guest review by Nicola Forsdyke.

We Took That… And Partied!

We weren’t sure exactly what to expect from ‘The Take That Experience’ at The Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds - other than, of course, hoarse throats and sore feet by the end of the night.

As any original Take That fan knows, the new stuff is good, but nothing can match the boyband’s classic hits from the ‘90s. So when the night launched with just the three current band members singing the more recent tunes, we felt a little hard done by. Even so, it would have been impossible not to begin tapping a foot or waving a hand to hits like ‘These Days’ and ‘Patience’ as the audience very quickly warmed up.

But just a few songs in, the UK’s leading Robbie Williams tribute act (according to his Instagram) burst onto the stage in all his glitz and glory, telling us to ‘Let Me Entertain You’. Perfectly mimicking real-life Robbie’s mannerisms and dance moves, the cheeky showman even came into the audience to perform and flirt with the crowd. 

Joined after the interval by bandmates Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Howard Donald and Jason Orange, the five tributes sounded remarkably similar to the real thing, and even nailed the infamous choreography. Yes, ‘Pray’ included.

Photo by Nic Forsdyke

These boys clearly know how to put on a show that shines, with four outfit changes, and even joking around with the audience in Mancunian accents.

Despite Mark Owen’s six foot tall tribute confessing to being the country’s tallest, it was clear that these men had closely studied the original Take That, and performed them to a T.

The Take That Experience was certainly true to its name with all the hits, both young and old, included. The nostalgia for our youth, before Gary Barlow had written a million love songs, came flooding back.

It is probably Robbie’s tribute act who was the most polished and gave the highest entertainment value on this night, but then again, he and Gary always did fight it out for the limelight.

The resemblance may not have been uncanny - or even remotely similar in some cases - but the voices and energy of The Take That Experience make us sure, so sure, that this was a show well worth seeing.

The Take That Experience is also playing Marina Theatre, Lowestoft on 4 July 2024, and Haverhill Arts Centre on 5 July 2024.

FOR FULL SHOW DETAILS AND BOOKING LINK, CLICK HERE