‘I’ve never watched Only Fools and Horses – one thing left me gobsmacked’

I’ve got a confession to make… I’ve never watched an episode of .

Despite it being one of the most beloved British sitcoms, I’ve never sat down and watched a full episode. Yes, I’ve seen clips here and there but I’ve just never felt the urge to see what all the fuss is about.

This recent admission to my dad, who is a big Only Fools fan, left him gobsmacked, so when the show’s musical adaptation announced it was going on another tour around the UK, I thought I had better try it.

I didn’t go into it completely blind, as I knew some of the iconic catchphrases and, of course, the famous theme song, but I didn’t know what to expect as I’ve never found slapstick humour particularly funny.

But I was pleasantly surprised within just a few minutes of the curtains rising, with the cast singing the famous song as they worked hard at the market.

I found I didn’t need to know the show inside out, or feel nostalgic while watching it, as the humour seemed to translate on stage, with Del Boy’s antics and Grandad’s dry wit resonating with the audience.

Sam Lupton and Tom Major’s portrayals as Del Boy and Rodney Trotter hit the nail on the head, with their renditions of the iconic characters not straying very far from what people familiar with the series would expect.

Equally, Paul Whitehouse was impressive as both Grandad and Uncle Albert, with his impression leaving my dad in stitches as he appeared during the second half.

In a moment of heckling as he made his entrance as Albert, he didn’t hesitate to tell an audience member he’d “lamp him one”, perfectly sticking to the character.

However, the musical wasn’t without its flaws, as I found a few of the songs interrupted the flow of the story, with Trigger’s look into 2024 and Rodney and Cassandra’s marriage duet both leaving me fidgeting.

But Raquel’s About the Girl was by far the strongest song in the play, bar the energetic rendition of the theme song, and I thought Georgina Hagen was one of the strongest characters despite her relatively small part.

Some of the songs seemed a bit unnecessary, and even though I thought Vinnie Jones was a charismatic addition, I couldn’t help but feel they could have padded his character out a bit more as it felt like a superficial role for such a big name.

In fairness to Vinnie, he did a good job in the role, and clearly enjoyed himself as Danny Driscoll, but I found it bizarre how Del Boy’s attack was quickly brushed over with Driscoll then joining the party in the Nag’s Head for the final song.