New musical Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World is on its debut tour and it is a pop-fuelled celebration of female empowerment.

The show is based on the picture book by Kate Pankhurst and features an all-female cast and creative team.

It has been produced by Kenny Wax, also behind international smash-hit Six the Musical.

Six, which turns the wives of Henry VIII into a pop group, came to the Norwich Playhouse on its first tour so it seems fitting that Fantastically Great Women has come there too.

The show is told through the eyes of schoolgirl Jade, played by Fayth Ifil when I watched it and she was Simon Cowell's golden buzzer act on Britain's Got Talent in 2020.

She sneaks away from her class on a school trip to the local museum to take a look behind-the-scenes at the not yet opened Gallery of Greatness.


Female icons from history then come to life before her eyes, including Frida Kahlo, Rosa Parks and Emmeline Pankhurst.

There were twelve of them in total, with three each played by Christina Modestou, Renée Lamb, Frances Mayli McCann and Jade Kennedy, with a live band on stage too.

The small but perfectly formed cast kept the audience in the palm of their hands with catchy songs, sharp choreography and inspiring stories.

Ifil was the glue that held the show together and she was fantastic and inquisitive, with a belter of a voice.

All four women seamlessly transitioned between roles, with Modestou as record-breaking swimmer Gertrude Ederle a highlight.

The moment at the end with Renée Lamb as Rosa Parks was very poignant as she sung Lullaby Little Girl and she has a stunning voice.

While it is a family show, I am in my twenties and went with just my boyfriend and we still loved it.

Although the song Deeds Not Words had a great melody, I struggled to make out a lot of the lyrics so it may have helped if the dancing was slowed down a little.

You are in for a fantastically great evening and the show is running until December 5, so there are plenty of chances left to see it.

Book at norwichtheatre.org