REVIEW - 13 Going On 30 is a joyous musical - the perfect escapism offering a pathway for new audiences to experience live theatre

On Tuesday, we were invited to the Manchester Opera House to see 13 Going On 30 The Musical. Read what our reviewer Karen Ryder had to say about this fabulous show...

Hollywood have arrived in Manchester, bringing their flare, fabulousness, and a fresh outlook on an iconic film, as 13 Going On 30 The Musical makes its World Premiere at The Manchester Opera House.  With an award-winning team behind the show, including original writers of the film Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa, and an army of dedicated film fans eagerly awaiting to discover what Jenna Rink will be like after a musical theatre make over, the excitement, vigour, and love was out in full force.  There is a definite energy surrounding this show that is difficult to describe, but one that is a joy to witness, absorb and experience.  Perhaps it’s because the show knows exactly who it is and what it stands and is extremely proud of that.  And so it should be because 13 Going On 30 The Musical is bursting with talent, fun, heart, and an infectious energy that lifts you up and carries you effortlessly.  It is a fun film that has been given a whole new lease of life on stage, fully free and fabulous!

So, what is it all about?  The outline of the plot hasn’t changed from the film, but it has been given the creative space to breathe more freely, to explore more honestly, and to connect even deeper.  Jenna Rink has just turned 13 and is happy, sad, excited, terrified, conflicted and confused as to who she is and where she fits.  She has the best friend in Matt, but she isn’t one of the Six Chicks – the coolest girl gang who rule the school.  When their leader Lulu allows Jenna to believe that school heart throb Kyle will attend her birthday party if only they could all get their history assignments finished, Jenna takes the bait and offers to do the work for them in return for their attendance at her party.  But of course, humiliation awaits, and as Jenna lashes out her frustrations on those closest to her, Matt takes the bulk of her anger and hurt as she wishes she was just like the women in her favourite magazine Poise.  Jenna wishes with all her heart to be thirty, flirty, and thriving.  And that’s exactly what Jenna gets as she awakes to find herself celebrating her 30^th birthday, living with a professional athlete, heading up her division at Poise Magazine, and best friends with a grown-up Lulu, now Lucy, of Six Chicks fame!  But where is Matt?  Where are her parents?  Who did she have to become in order to live this life?  As Jenna goes on a journey of self discovery, she doesn’t always like what she finds, and realises that in order to be a thriving and fulfilled 30-year-old, she has to find her way back to her 13-year-old self.     

Lucie Jones (Les Mis, Wicked, Waitress) is impeccable in the role of Jenna Rink.  She captures the spirit of a 13-year-old without ever trying to ‘play’ a 13-year-old, so there are zero cringy moments of an adult trying to be young.  Instead, she sprinkles her adult character with subtleties that interweave to create something quite remarkable.  From the almost unnoticed way her feet keep falling under themselves as she tries to navigate wearing heels, to her split second authentic teenage reactions, that adult Jenna then tries to cover up so she isn’t ‘caught out’, she effortlessly plays two sides of the same coin depending on who her scene is with.  With Matt, she is relaxed and the youthful edge is more at play in the things she says as her barriers are down, yet with everyone else she is putting on a front, pretending to be the adult she now finds herself as.  As the story continues, Jenna discovers she prefers her 13-year-old self and we see her authenticity start to shine through regardless of the company she is in.

It is a delicate balance, especially as adult Jenna has turned into an unpleasant person, yet as an audience we still need to like her and be on her side, and it is a balance that Lucie Jones has not only mastered but taken to a whole new level, ensuring we are enraptured and our hearts are stolen.  Her vocals are more powerful than ever, making each song ooze heart, nostalgia, emotion, capturing a moment in time, and evoking a whirlwind of feelings.  That Moment In Time and Make The World are stunning songs and in the hands of Lucie Jones, become so much more.  They create moments, moments that defy words or explanation and become about connection.  It is beautiful.  David Hunter (Waitress, Kinky Boots, The Time Traveller’s Wife) is our adult Matt and is an expert at saying a thousand words with just one look.  When Jenna turns up on his door, his acting is incredible, outwardly accepting of the situation, inwardly breaking in two.  There was a particular moment in the show when Jenna says that she had nowhere to turn as a teenager, and the look that crosses his faces ensures you to feel his heart breaking.  David Hunter’s Matt is so full of texture that you can’t help but watch him, knowing there is always something more going on just beneath the surface.  He is comfortable enough in his own skin that he has outgrown the need to be liked by the ‘cool’ people, yet he is still so vulnerable when it comes to Jenna and has never really come to terms with the loss of her not liking him.  As Jenna puts it, “You Gotta Have Fireworks!”  This pairing of Jones and Hunter is just delicious and you can feel the shorthand of friendship between the two characters.  They spark, they play, they intertwine perfectly, they stand alone yet come together as one. 

Grace Mouat (Mean Girls, Gypsy In Concert, Cinderella) as Lucy (adult Lulu) is sensational.  She serves us strong, dominant snarls and sass, and reads the room with a lethal mix of sugar and spice.  Her delivery is so delicious, her timing, pause and poise unrivalled, and just as we think she is untouchable, we are given a chink in the armour and see a slither of vulnerability that offers explanation if not understanding.  Mouat knows how to win an audience over, even with a character that makes questionable choices at times, she still finds a way for us to connect and dare I say even like Lucy a little.  She is so unapologetically true to who she is, that can make a person dangerously addictive.  Similarly, Caleb Roberts as Jenna and Lucy’s boss Richard, owns the world in which he inhabits, proud that he lives for the beautiful and expensive things in life.  His one liners are some of the best in the show, and Roberts delivers with such a suave sophistication of opulence that the simplest sentence becomes comedic gold, such as “cancel my one O’ clock – I need to go and weep!”

The Young Company are a force to be reckoned with and absolutely thrive in this production, standing as equals alongside their adult counterparts with the relaxed ease of those who feel seen, heard, and respected.  They are phenomenal and thoroughly deserving of the thunderous applause bestowed upon them.  Their unruffled charm, confidence and undeniable talent is a heady mix and from the moment each of them takes to the stage, their youthful energy beguiles you.  The show opens with young Jenna and young Matt (Amelia Minto and Max Bispham) diving headfirst into the opening number Wanna Be – quite the load to put on the shoulders of two young performers – but it is a load they carry with a world class performance.  These two incredible performers set the tone for the entire show by providing us with plenty of charm, a sprinkling of wistfulness, endless energy, and a beautiful edge of vulnerability, all wrapped up in a fuzzy cushion kind of hug of hope and heart. Amelia Minto dazzles with her smile and instantly ignites her character, and memories of being 13 for many audience members, as she effortlessly sings her way through the complex and confusing emotions of trying to figure out who you are verses who you think you need to be to fit in. 

Max Bispham introduces his character with a professional maturity beyond his years, blowing your mind as he extends the grapple of the confused teenage mind, bringing an edge of comedy as his character tries to navigate his feelings.  And then - the Six Chicks reveal - akin to the hype of The Heathers reveal, these fierce and fabulous frenemies are strong, sensational and they slay!  Anna De Oliveira leads the way as Lulu executing the mean girl vibe with sliced precision and perfecting the dual transaction of appearing nice yet everything having an undertone to it.  Right on her heels are Star Lily Shentall-Lee, Hanya Zhang, Keira Chansa, Bella Hockaday, and Emmeline D’ Arcy Walsh who also plays Becky and does an inspired job leading in Own It.  The dancing and singing is exceptional, so sharp yet fluid, so in sync yet each character is individual.  They really will blow your mind and it is clear that with youngsters like this coming through the ranks, the future of musical theatre is in very capable hands.  Completing the talent is Cyrus Campbell as Young Kyle who quite literally owns the stage with his bravado, oozing confidence as he cheekily connects with the audience, winking and flirting with them.  He finds just the right balance to pull this off successfully and owns his own charm in abundance.  Completing the Young Company are Maddison Thew and Hughie Higginson as Super Swings, and they really are super, taking on a variety of roles, each with a defined edge and character.

Music and lyrics by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner are wholesome, heartfelt, exemplary musical theatre heaven.  It is everything you could ask for, with personal stand outs being Wanna Be, 13 Going On 30, That Moment In Time, Own It (a sure-fire teenage anthem hit), and Make The World.  Poise is also a scream of a song, giving Meghan Trainor vibes.  It is all so current yet so musical theatre.  Directed by the legendary Andy Fickman, the show is entirely infused with his energy, his heart, and his ability to create iconic moments.  There is a generosity at play here that is palpable and an effortless ease.  It’s hard to describe but there seems to be a calm and happy harmony exuding from the whole show.  Choreographed by the equally legendary Jennifer Weber, there are gloriously cool moves, and little dance motifs that pop up time after time to mirror Jenna’s 13 year-old-self even when she is 30.  And of course, we have to mention the iconic Thriller scene!  This has been not only honoured with respect but given a sensational glow up, taking it to the next level!  The audience were pumped!  An adrenaline fuelled, pulsating, throbbing crowd high on the nostalgia and hungry for the heightened live version playing out before us!  It is, was, and shall ever be, iconic!

And of course, that dress!  Costume designer Gabriela Tylesova did not disappoint fans, and I have to say, this was a first that I have ever seen the appearance of a certain costume get its own rapturous applause!  With lighting designed by Howard Hudson, it perfectly enhanced the story, whether it be lights streaming in matching the shades of Jenna’s infamous dress, or the stunning refracted beams with washes of deep purples and blues that interplayed with video design by George Reeve to create magic in songs such as Why Can’t We Fly, or overwhelming emotive empowerment in Own It.         

I’m sure there will be plenty of people ready to degrade the formula of yet another film being turned into a stage musical, but the truth is, like it or not, they have a valid place in theatre and they have their audience.  Surely shows that offer a pathway for new audiences to experience live theatre, or simply offer escapism and joy, are something to champion, not scorn?  13 Going On 30 The Musical has not only captured the heart of the film, but has manifested it into something much richer, embracing its core message of authenticity, truthfulness, and self-empowerment to a whole new level.  It has the youthful energy, unfiltered charm, hopefulness, and unspoiled enthusiasm of a 13-year-old, nestled in perfect harmony with the wistful heart, dream chasing, ambitious sophistication, and maturity of a 30-year-old. 

The beating heart and the values behind the story extend way beyond what was achieved in the film, and that is with no disrespect to the film, but with respect and praise to where the writers Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa have been able to examine their own work and move it into a whole new genre and set it alight with what people need to connect with here and now.  It is intuitive and will resonate with audiences of all ages, perhaps allowing us to recognise that it’s never too late to be who we truly are, and that if we don’t seem to fit, perhaps the answer isn’t to change who we are, but to change who we surround ourselves with, find our people so that we ultimately create our own corner of world in which we not only fit, but complete. 


As a Mancunian, I feel honoured and proud that 13 Going On 30 The Musical chose us for its World Premiere, for this is a show full of spirit and heart.  It’s intent hit home with this audience and I have no doubt it will continue to do so wherever it goes, for its themes are universal, its message clear, and my goodness it brings the fun factor!  It is a joyous show that gives you all the feels and gives you the goosebumps.  And I’m sure Jenna Rink will be thrilled to know that 13 Going On 30 The Musical gives you fireworks!   

WE SCORE BY 13 GOING ON 30...



13 Going On 30 The Musical is on the Opera House, Manchester until Sunday 12th October 2025.

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