Bad Girls: The Musical [DVD]

I was lucky enough to see "Bad Girls: The Musical" in London - in fact, I was present at the final performances on 17th November 2007, which were those recorded for this DVD. The musical struggled to find its audience in London and closed only two months after officially opening, which was massively disappointing for fans, but with the long-awaited DVD release, those who were unable to catch the musical in the West End (or at its earlier incarnation at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds) can now enjoy the show.

It is fair to say that the musical will appeal most to fans of the long-running TV series, particularly those who enjoyed early series. This adaptation is largely based on Series 1 to 3 of "Bad Girls", though with some notable changes as the main plot sees Shell Dockley (Nicole Faraday, familiar to "Bad Girls" fans as Snowball Merriman) and the other inmates try to bring down Fenner (David Burt). Meanwhile, idealistic (some might say, naive...) Wing Governor Helen Stewart (Laura Rogers, who played an inmate, Sheena Williams in Series 7) struggles with her, um, slightly less than professional feelings for lifer Nikki Wade (Caroline Head).

Overall, "Bad Girls: The Musical" is a very fun show which has a nice payoff in both its main storylines and some good lines and songs along the way. The riot that breaks out in "That's The Way It Is" is effectively handled and one of the strongest visual moments in the play (and the song is pretty good too). Most of the cast are strong, in particular Caroline Head, Sally Dexter (as a very different Yvonne to that seen on-screen) and Camilla Beeput as Crystal. Unfortunately Beeput doesn't get much to do, but her voice on "Freedom Road" is brilliant.

Nonetheless this show does have its flaws. We don't really need two songs sung by Fenner and Sylvia Hollamby (Helen Fraser reprising her TV role, though she plays a somewhat more sinister version of the prison officer than we saw on-screen), particularly when the songs cover the same ground. Some on-stage goings-on will be hard to follow for those who are new to "Bad Girls", too. For example, fans will know that Shell Dockley and Nikki Wade have a long-running enmity, but here cuts made during previews mean that instead of Nikki reacting to Dockley's bullying of a weaker inmate, a fight between the two prisoners apparently comes out of nowhere - making it harder for the viewer to (as they should!) take Nikki's side. As another example, one of Fenner and Hollamby's songs ends as an ode to the "POA." Presumably this is a reference to the Prison Officers' Association, but it's never explained and I am not sure how those unfamiliar with prison terminology are expected to know what the song is getting at (two girls sitting in front of me at the live performance each asked other what the reference meant, neither having a clue). Plus, it doesn't make sense in the context of the song anyway.

Long-time viewers of "Bad Girls" will have seen the romance between Nikki and Helen develop over time, along with the characters. In this version, we don't see Nikki's remorse over her crime (Helen would never have fallen for a cold-blooded killer), we don't see Helen's professionalism and dedication to the inmates (she spends half her time mooning over Nikki and the other half threatening to take the prison to tribunal - meanwhile, Fenner does what he likes with the women and a prisoner on the wing dies) and we don't get this real sense of how hard it must be to be in a love affair when you are quite literally divided from the person you love by prison bars.

The show's biggest problem is that in presenting the prisoners as the heroines of the piece, it risks alienating a lot of viewers. We know Shell Dockley killed someone and tried to kill another (and is not sorry) and yet we are supposed to be rooting for her. There are a number of lines and lyrics about the prisoners getting out and moving on with their lives. I am a big believer in people getting second chances but the show doesn't portray, as the TV series had time to do, why some of these women deserved to move on (and in Dockley's case, whilst we got to see another side to her, we were never presented on-screen with the idea she should be glorified).

Nevertheless, what can I say - I love this show, regardless of all its flaws. It's funny ("All Banged Up", performed by the two Julies and Yvonne is hilarious), enjoyable and very nicely performed. I enjoyed watching the positive depiction of lesbian romance, the clear effort made by every performer on the stage to make the most out of the sometimes limited material, and the very concept of a musical of "Bad Girls", a TV series I enjoyed.

One final point about this DVD - no extras at all. This is disappointing - why not include some of the interview clips that have been previously uploaded to file sharing sites by the cast and crew, discussing the production, or the memorable ensemble version of "All Banged Up"? Perhaps a short video of the filming of the CD cast album as well might have been a nice little bonus for the fans. A pity that a couple of extras of some sort couldn't have been bunged on the disc, in my view.

For anyone who was lucky enough to see the live show whilst it was on, this is a fabulous memento. For anyone who missed out on the live musical for whatever reason, this is the perfect chance to watch it in the comfort of your own home. It really is a well written musical; although trying to cram the whole of the first 3 series into one must have been no mean feat! All of the songs are good - my personal favourites being Every night sung by Nikki and Helen, The whole company's rendition of 'The Baddest and the Best' and 'All Banged Up'. Also Julie J's song 'Sorry' is a heart wrencher. It's got music, drama, comedy and love. A must-have for any Bad Girls fan.

I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to see "Bad Girls" again having seen it when it was in the West End and I am glad to say it has not lost any of the tension and atmosphere they managed to create in the theatre. The women's prison is well portrayed with a mixture of very rounded characters both as inmates and prison officials showing a mixture of tough, sympathetic, weak, and strong people put under pressure by their surroundings. A very strong cast (David Burt as Jim Fenner was excellent) and with very good songs. I just wish they would do more of these DVDs of West End Musicals, so we can appreciate them long after they have closed.