Review: FANTASTICALLY GREAT WOMEN WHO CHANGED THE WORLD at The Other Palace



Date: 28th July 2024 

Seat: G1

Tickets: Gifted

Rating: 4 Stars

Sometimes musicals are just a bit of fluff - albeit enjoyable fluff - that don’t mean an awful lot, and that’s fine. We can all do with some fun nothings from time to time. But sometimes musicals actually mean something, and Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World is one of those musicals. The fact that it’s aimed at children (although it works for adults too) makes it even more special. 

The musical is based on the children’s book of the same name by Kate Pankhurst (and yes, she is a direct descendent of Emmeline Pankhurst). It's adapted by Chris Bush with music by Miranda Cooper and Jennifer Decilveo and lyrics by Chris Bush and Miranda Cooper. It’s directed by Amy Hodge. And it’s a triumph. 

Fantastically Great Women tells the story of Jade, a young girl on a school trip to a museum who accidentally stumbles on an exhibition that’s currently closed to the public when she gets left behind. That exhibition is all about, as you might guess, inspirational women through the ages. She’s feeling lost and alone without a voice, but over the course of the next 85 minutes, she meets a variety of wonderful women from the past who have shaped the present and who have given plenty of girls like Jade a future to look forward to. Those women are Amelia Earheart, Sacagawea, Gertrude Ederle, Emmeline Pankhurst, Jane Austen, Mary Anning, Mary Seacole, Marie Curie, Agent Fifi, Frida Kahlo, Anne Frank, and Rosa Parks. 



Even if you already know the stories behind what makes these women so special, this fresh way of looking at them and explaining how important they are will give you plenty of new information, especially when it comes to how hard they had to work to be heard. And if you don’t know the stories, this is the ideal introduction to them, with the small snippets of their lives told through some incredibly catchy songs that you’ll find hard to forget. 

The songs range from big, bold anthems like “Deeds Not Words” to beautiful and very moving ballads like “Rosa’s Lullaby”. It’s true, there is a Six-ish feel to some of those songs, as well as the choreography, but that’s no bad thing. If you want to tell the story of strong women, there are definitely worse ways to do it! The song I enjoyed the most at the time and that’s stuck with me since is “Mary, Mary, and Marie,” about Mary Seacole, Mary Anning, and Marie Curie (and Agent Fifi, otherwise known as Marie Christine Chilver). It’s catchy and fun and it’s clever too – it’s not just about the women themselves, but about how they’re not the superheroes you might think they are; they were just normal women doing what they had to do. It’s a nice break from the standard narrative and it’s something that’s going to help a lot of children feel as though they can do anything in life if they try. What’s better than that? 

The performances were fantastic, with Georgia Grant-Anderson as Jade leading the way. She’s in every scene and holds the entire story together by being the audience’s proxy on stage, and no matter how lost or confused she might be, you get it – and by the end, you’re ready to take the next steps with her. 

Every one of the cast was exceptional, but the performance I got the most out of was Anelisa Lamola who played Amelia Earheart, Mary Seacole, and Rosa Parks. She was able to be very funny (just watch when she plays the fossils Mary Anning finds), truly heartbreaking (the entire Rosa Parks section was outstanding), and highly engaging, with a soaring voice and a stage presence that had me hooked. 



Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World isn’t just for kids, but it is the ideal introduction to musical theatre for little ones, giving them an interesting story, fascinating characters, and songs that they can easily remember and enjoy. It’s fast and funny, moving and memorable, and at 85 minutes with no interval, the fact that most of the young audience was able to sit still and focus is a testament to how good it really was. It’s bound to inspire many of those watching. 

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World is playing at The Other Palace from the 25th July – 8th September 2024. Tickets are available here: https://theotherpalace.co.uk/fantastically-great-women/

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