Review: Molly Wobbly at the Phoenix Artist Club

Molly Wobbly 

Phoenix Artist Club 

Reviewed on Wednesday 12th March 2014

'The town of Little Happening gets an unexpected make-over when a devious and creepy stranger arrives on Mammary Lane promising personal improvement to three unhappy women.'

Molly Wobbly (formerly known as Molly Wobbly's Tit Factory) was supposed to receive its London premiere at the Hackney Empire last September. However, when a financial backer pulled out moments before the first preview the entire run was cancelled. Fast forward six months and Paul Boyd's musical is back up on its feet, running in the back room at the Phoenix Artist Club (below the Phoenix Theatre, home to the West End production of Once).

Big Interview: Leanne Jones

Next month Leanne Jones will reprise her performance in Molly Wobbly’s Tit Factory which receives a concert staging at the Phoenix Artist Club between Saturday 8th and Wednesday 19th March 2014.

Leanne previously starred in the world premiere of Paul Boyd's musical at the Lyric Theatre Belfast and subsequent season at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2012. It was originally planned for Boyd's musical to receive its London première at the Hackney Empire last September. However, the run was cancelled last minute when an investor pulled out.

Leanne won Best Actress in a Musical at the Olivier Awards in 2008 for her portrayal of Tracy Turnblad in the West End premiere of Hairspray at the Shaftesbury Theatre. 

Her theatre credits also include: Saucy Jack and The Space Vixens (Leicester Square Theatre), The Sunny Side Of The Street (Jermyn Street Theatre), Bedroom Farce (New Wolsey Theatre), You're A Good Man Charlie Brown (Tabard Theatre) and Tick Tick Boom (Union Theatre). She was recently seen auditioning for will.i.am, Kylie Minogue, Sir Tom Jones and Ricky Wilson on BBC1 talent show The Voice.

I recently spoke to Leanne about her return to Molly Wobbly, what people can expect from the show and why she thinks it has the potential to become a cult classic as well as the incredible response she received after performing on The Voice, why auditioning for the talent show was an interesting experience, Hairspray and the highs and lows of her career…

What made you want to return to Molly Wobbly?

Timing, and wanting to support the project massively. I was doing Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens last summer and it was really weird because they were flyering outside our show and then a day or two later it all went tits up – pardon the pun - and I felt really sad for them, especially my friends in the cast and Paul – it was devastating for them. So when I heard it was coming back and they were doing this concert version I was like “if I can make it work I’ll be there”.

Full casting announced for Molly Wobbly’s Tit Factory

Jordan Lee Davies

Full casting has been announced for Molly Wobbly’s Tit Factory which receives its London premiere at the Phoenix Artist Club next month. Paul Boyd's musical runs between Saturday 8th and Wednesday 19th March 2014. 

The full cast includes: Alistair Brookshaw (Malcolm), Christopher Finn (Robbie), Russell Morton (Ithanku), Conleth Kane (Jake), Leanne Jones (Magaret), Kate England (Ruth), Lucy Garrioch (Jemma) and Jordan Lee Davies (Kitten).

Molly Wobbly premiered at the Lyric Theatre Belfast and subsequently ran at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2012. The score features the numbers ’Presbyterian Minister’s Wife’, 'Mammary Lane' and ‘Off My Chest’

Molly Wobbly returns; Paul Boyd's musical for concert staging at the Phoenix Artist Club

Paul Boyd

It has been announced that Paul Boyd's musical Molly Wobbly’s Tit Factory will receive its London premiere at the Phoenix Artist Club. The production will open on Monday 10th March 2014 and run until Saturday 29th March 2014.

It was originally planned for Boyd's musical to receive its London première at the Hackney Empire last September. However, the run was cancelled last minute when an investor pulled out.  The cast for the Hackney run included: Gary Wilmot, Sophie-Louise Dann, Shona White, Sam Buttery, Conleth Kane, Stephanie Fearon, Christopher Finn, and Russell Morton.

Casting for the Phoenix Artist Club concert production is to be announced.

Feature: Molly Wobbly fights back, watch the cast perform 'Suddenly At All' at The Singers Soirée

Following runs at the Lyric Theatre Belfast and last year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival, earlier this year it was announced that Molly Wobbly's Tit Factory would transfer London's Hackney Empire. However, after a financial backer pulled out at the last minute, the entire run was cancelled just hours before the first preview was due to begin as there for was no longer enough money to pay the actors. 

During the rehearsal period, the cast performed one of the show's musical numbers 'Suddenly At All' at The Singers Soirée, a charity concert in aid of The Shooting Star CHASE held at St Giles-in-the-Fields. You can watch the performance below:

Entire run of Molly Wobbly's Tit Factory at the Hackney Empire cancelled due to "financial difficulties"

The entire run of Molly Wobbly's Tit Factory at the Hackney Empire has been cancelled due to "financial difficulties". The show was due to start previews tonight (20th September).

The musical premiered Lyric Theatre Belfast and subsequently ran at last years Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Writing in a  Guest Blog for West End Frame last week, the show's writer and director, Paul Boyd, explained that bringing the show to London had been a struggle. He wrote: "Our ads for Molly Wobby’s T*t Factory (note the asterisk!) were banned by London Underground. The hardest part about bringing a show to London, especially with a large venue to fill like the Hackney Empire, is the cost of advertising in the capital.

Guest Blog: "Bums on seats, luvvie!" - Molly Wobbly’s Tit Factory opens in London

Paul Boyd

The town of Little Happening gets an unexpected make-over when a devious and creepy stranger arrives on Mammary Lane promising personal improvement to three unhappy women.

Molly Wobbly’s Tit Factory has enjoyed great support since the show’s inception in 2006. The audiences that attended the show’s sell-out runs at the Lyric Theatre Belfast in 2011 and 2012 and again for its production at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe last year, along with many industry professionals, have now led the show to London and the Hackney Empire.

Molly Wobbly is the saucy, sexy, musical tale of innocent shopkeepers who plot to get a few things off their chests and bulges with racy, catchy songs and larger than life characters. While the word “tit” features prominently in the title, the show is far from X-rated. With shows such as Book of Mormon full of expletives and songs about Aids and genital mutilation, Molly Wobbly is actually quite tame. And even though our ads for Molly Wobby’s T*t Factory (note the asterisk!) were banned by London Underground, I like to think I’ve combined the best of British musical hall, Carry On and double-entendre traditions, yet in a very 21st century way. 

Gary Wilmot, Sophie-Louise Dann & David Hunter to star in Molly Wobbly’s Tit Factory at the Hackney Empire

Molly Wobbly’s Tit Factory will receive its London première at Hackney Empire, running from Sunday 22nd September (previews from Friday 20th September) until Saturday 5th October 2013.

Molly Wobbly’s Tit Factory is directed and written by Paul Boyd. The musical premiered Lyric Theatre Belfast and subsequently ran at last years Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

The cast includes: Gary Wilmot (Malcolm), Sophie-Louise Dann (Margaret), David Hunter (Kitten), Shona White (Jemma), Conleth Kane (Jake), Stephanie Fearon (Ruth), Christopher Finn (Robbie), and Russell Morton (Ithanku).

'The town of Little Happening gets an unexpected make-over when a devious and creepy stranger arrives on Mammary Lane promising personal improvement to three unhappy women”.