Thelma & Louise musical in London falls flat, critic says

A musical adaptation of Ridley Scott's 1991 film Thelma & Louise has premiered at London's Young Vic theatre, but a Guardian review describes it as a puzzling and underwhelming reworking of the beloved road movie. Original screenwriter Callie Khouri contributed to the stage book, yet the result reportedly fails to match expectations.

The leads are played by Rachel Tucker as Louise and Amy Lennox as Thelma. The reviewer credits both actors with capable performances, but says the production as a whole lacks the depth of the film.

No road, no car

One of the most striking choices is the near-total absence of a road or a car, both central to the film's identity. The women's journey is instead conveyed through neon lighting and the sound of a revving engine rather than any real depiction of travel. Much of the action unfolds in a plain saloon bar set rather than the desert landscape that served almost as a character in the film.

The shooting that sets the plot in motion happens earlier in the musical than in the film, meaning the women's fear of consequences overshadows their initial sense of liberation. The reviewer finds the characters overly simplified — Thelma flirtatious and conventional, Louise hardened and stern — with genuine bonding between them only emerging in the second half.

Director Trip Cullman sets the show in an uncertain time period somewhere between the 1980s and the present. The choreography includes hoedown-style dancing and men in wide-brimmed hats. Neko Case's score is described as largely unmemorable, aside from one standout number, "It Was Worth It." Supporting characters, including detective Hal and young grifter JD, are also said to be thinly drawn. The reviewer concludes that the finale at the desert canyon fails to evoke the emotional impact of the film's iconic ending.