Twenty years after its premiere production, Peter Quilter’s Glorious!, the Olivier award-nominated comedy based on the wholesome (and at times, hilarious) true story of American socialite, Florence Foster Jenkins, has opened at Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester; quite the contrast in scale to Jenkins’ final performance at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

In preparing to see Glorious! and to get the vision of Meryl out of my mind (Streep was nominated for an Academy Award for her portrayal inthe 2016 film, Florence Foster Jenkins),  I watched one of the only known videos of Florence ‘singing’ in the late 1930s. Some might say she was a genius; a genius at finding notes that don’t exist- my dog was certainly not a fan of her arias- but that did not stop her.

From the age of 7, Jenkins was a music enthusiast, performing piano recitals as Little Miss Foster- even performing at the White House for President Rutherford Birchard Hayes. Prior to becoming “the worst singer in the world”, Jenkins suffered numerous setbacks in her dreams of becoming a professional pianist when her father refused her to study music in Europe and an arm injury hampered her playing. If Quilter’s book was fine-tuned and incorporated more of the heart and determination of Jenkins to fulfil her aspirations against the odds, this play could be pitch perfect. Sadly, it spends more time in repetition and without true purpose- alas becoming a bit one note.

With glorious (first and last time, promise) direction from Kirk Jameson, Wendi Peters leads the three-strong cast in a triumphant portrayal of Florence, giving an undoubtable nod to Hyacinth Bucket. (If Keeping Up Appearances is revived, no casting call is required.) Peters’ portrayal is full of melodrama and brashness but, when the thin script allows, the audience are shown a peek at the depths of Florence and subtly shown her vulnerable side- something that is unfortunately not delved into further in the book.

In his stage debut, as pianist Cosmé McMoon, Charlie Hiscock gives a subtle yet hilarious performance with dry delivery and canny facial expressions, a stark contrast to the over-acting of Peters- a match made in heaven.

Completing the trio is Anita Booth who multi-roles throughout, but has the audience hooked as Italian housemaid, Maria- with her bluntness and dead-pan delivery bringing levels of energy to the scenes.

Ultimately, Glorious! is what its namesake says- the issue is, it doesn’t quite fulfil its potential. Scenographer and costumer designer Ingrid Hu does a beautiful job of realism in Jenkins’ apartment but lacks the same grandeur by the end of the piece at Carnegie Hall. The script states that the scene is “flooded with flowers” and, whilst this may not be entirely practical, there is no big payoff to warrant the already lengthy scene change for the whitewashed finale. This same moment also suffers harshly deployed SFX, hindering the pacing of Florence’s final outing which is echoed in costume design. The opulence of Florence’s outfit at the start of the play is wonderfully realised but, by the end, and although high camp, feels more fancy dress than headliner at Carnegie Hall- especially when illuminated in UV.

Irrespective of its flaws, Glorious! is a sheer spectacle based on the performances alone and, although understated, the themes of courage, passion and friendship will stick with you and hopefully encourage the audience to pursue their dreams regardless of the opinion of others.

Glorious! plays at Hope Mill Theatre until 30th March. Further information and booking can be found here.

Tickets received in exchange for an honest review.

Photography by Cian O’Ryan.