The Devil Wears Prada

Back in 2006, David Frankel’s film of The Devil Wears Prada (based on Lauren Weisberger’s book) was essential viewing with an all-star cast led by Meryl Streep and box-office success to match. Those are big (red) shoes to fill some 18 years later but there’s enough wow factor in this show to fill both the huge space at The Dominion Theatre and the hearts and minds of the audience.

The show opens with Emily (Amy di Bartolomeo), wearing impossibly high heels, strutting onto the stage and telling us to take one last photo before turning our phones off. We then step back in time to 2006 and meet Andrea ‘Andy’ Sachs (Georgie Buckland), our main protagonist.

She’s in New York, desperate to be a journalist, but has been knocked back for umpteen posts. At a job interview at fashion journal Runway Magazine, she’s interviewed by Emily who is desperately searching for a new assistant for her extremely demanding boss, Miranda Priestly (Vanessa Williams).

On the face of it, Andy is a most unlikely candidate: she’s frumpy and unkempt and knows nothing about nor is much interested in fashion. Surprisingly, she gets the job, and we see her step into her new role and deal with the huge challenges of dealing with the likes of Miranda, the icy perfectionist fashion icon and the magazine’s editor-in-chief.

From the get-go, with a stunning entrance sequence, Williams commands the stage. She embodies Miranda, looks like perfection and brings the star quality needed to take the show to a higher level. It is hard to imagine anyone else in the role and nor would the show have the same pizzazz without her.

The original storyline and tone is closely followed, which will please fans. We get the wonderful Cerulean speech from the film but, inevitably, some memorable scenes and lines from the film are dropped to allow room for the twenty or so songs that have been written especially for this show by Elton John. The combination of a tighter story line and well-written lyrics allow the musical to move at a good pace throughout. The songs add to the story rather than being bolted on and there was the right balance of music, humour, drama and spectacle.

The music is written by Elton John but doesn’t sound particularly like Elton John. It hits the right notes in the moment but, in general, is not particularly distinctive. There’s no obvious big hit here but there are a few standout numbers. A particular highlight of the evening is Runway’s creative director Nigel (Kinky Boots’ Matt Henry) singing “Seen” closely followed by the beautiful “Your Twenties” set in a louche Parisian lounge bar and sung by Maddy Ambus.

The first act’s “Dress Your Way Up”, where Andy finds her fashion mojo with help from Nigel is bright and a lot of fun, makes full use of the height of the stage and gives us a wow-factor moment. Emily’s number “Bon Voyage” is sassy and funny with impressively imaginative choreography; creating a dance that involves a hospital bed and a leg in a cast can’t have been easy. The show’s title number is the perfect backdrop to Miranda’s entrance to the ball and everyone looks and sounds fabulous.
“Paris, City of Dreams” is the best-styled and choreographed number. The set comes into its own here as we see Paris emerge onto the stage whilst the ensemble gives us all they’ve got to show us the energy and fabulousness of Paris Fashion Week.

Speaking of which, what’s a review of a musical about the fashion industry without talking about the costumes? Miranda’s wardrobe, designed by Pamella Roland, is stunning and a highlight of the show. The blue hues of the opening number work well on stage, the ball looks gorgeous and consequently the “Paris City of Dreams” is a feast for the eyes.

Nigel was always dressed well and Emily’s outfits dazzled but the rest of the costumes (whether worn or just seen) were disappointingly uneven and far below expectations given the profile and budget of a show about the well-dressed. There were allegedly designer numbers sourced for the cast but, if that was the case, they are well hidden amongst much cheaper looking outfits.

While tales of this musical’s failings will likely not interest the many (many) fans of the film and book, there’s more here to enjoy than to tut at. Bring the power shades and dress to the nines: The Devil Wears Prada has much to admire.

The Devil Wears Prada continues at the Dominion Theatre until 18 October 2025.