Jersey Boys
Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, Bob Gaudio, Bob Crewe
Dodgers UK Productions and others
Palace Theatre, Manchester
September 7-19, 2026; 2hrs 35min
(also at Hull New Theatre, September 28-October 3; Blackpool Opera House, May 17-22, 2027; Sunderland Empire, May 25-June 5; Leeds Grand, June 7-19, Sheffield Lyceum, June 22-July 3; Liverpool Empire, July 19-24)
Oh, What a Night! Jersey Boys returns to the Palace Theatre celebrating 20 years of the show's success, and as those who have seen it will know, the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons is a familiar band biopic.
Four lads with a poor start in life - in this case rooted in New Jersey, New York - start slowly then parachute to stardom through talent, determination and the luck of meeting the right people, some of whom exploit their weaknesses and their talents. Though the four operate as a unit – the band – each individual has his own story.
Band biopics are often criticised for trite and superficial dialogue, rushing through the lowest and highest of failure and success and the heated exchanges of bonding, fallouts and despair - and I certainly felt that at the start of the show.
But the full stories would need much more time and the audience came to see and hear the songs. The show takes off when the boys sing Sherry, and after that the hits just keep coming: Big Girls Don't Cry, Walk Like a Man, December 1963 (Oh, What a Night!), Let's Hang On!, Working My Way Back to You, Beggin' and Who Loves You among them, basic boy-girl songs, reflecting the teenage uncertainties of early romance, loving and rejection.
If those titles don’t bring you the thrill of remembering Frankie Valli’s outstanding, almost unique falsetto, and the sparkling harmonies and sharp rhythms of their songbook, then this show might not be for you.
The Four Seasons hit stardom in 1960, becoming Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons in 1970. They - again almost uniquely - pre-dated and survived the Beatles-led invasion of the US pop charts, keeping their style intact.
The show is lovingly styled and presented, with two-level staging, emphasising New York gantries and staircases, with pop art images to move the story along. The backstage band, which we get to see properly at the end [don’t rush away!] keeps everything flowing, while the on-stage ensemble cast members swap roles as the boys’ life moves forwards.
There’s no doubt that the main stars are, as they should be, the Four Seasons. All four cast members are superb. Dance and vocals are perfect and the cast members also convincing in their individual spoken roles when given space and time - and the lines - to hint at greater depth.
Carlo Boumouglbay infuriates but still engenders some sympathy as the initially successful driving force, Tommy Devito, who almost destroys the band. Lewis Kennedy’s deep voice and well timed dry humour ensure his character Nick Massi, is really appreciated. And Toby Miles as successful songwriter and fourth "season", Bob Gaudio, portrays a slight outsider gradually moving to the core.
But the star performer is undoubtedly the lead: Frankie Valli’s voice is very hard to emulate but Luke Baker's Frankie Valli couldn't be bettered. He’s simply stunning!
Ultimately the show is a jukebox of well-crafted 60s-style pop songs beloved with passion, energy and joy. It's a great night out!
More info and tickets here
Sydnie Hocknell, Artemis Chrisoulakis and Olivia Mitchell in Jersey Boys Luke Baker and Toby Miles National coverage for Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons
