Review of ‘Thelma & Louise’ (2026, Young Vic): “Road musical goes off a cliff, and it’s a complete car crash”

I was on a call with a friend from New York last night. As we discussed theatre (quelle surprise!), I told him I’d attended the newly opened Thelma & Louise musical. Enthusiastically, he told me he had just seen an advertisement for its transfer to the Great White Way. He was wrong, though. There’s no indication of that happening yet. And all I can say is: “New Yorkers, you’ve dodged a bullet.”

I’ve never been a great fan of the movie. The script has its problems, and so does its ideological approach. However, its relevance in film history is indisputable, and I can see how a story involving two runaway women trying to start a new life, especially after what happened to them at a local bar, could make a great musical. If that were the case,  this review would have started way differently. But it hasn’t. And I’m not talking about a few bumps in the road; this show runs on flat tyres for the whole trip.

Callie Khouri has betrayed her own creation. And her artistry as well. Although the book is noticeably better than its excruciatingly dull score, it still doesn’t compare to the film’s wit and depth. In fact, both features have been completely wiped out. With a few exceptions, the dialogue lacks subtlety, development, and strength; the narrative is poorly structured, many subplots are rushed or barely sketched, and despite the tragic outcome, its conclusion feels anticlimactic. And every character is extremely underwritten.

In the film, we get to empathise with Thelma from the beginning. We witness her endurance in a loveless, abusive marriage first-hand, and we can understand (if not encourage) her radical transformation. Here, their relationship with her husband, Darryl, is vaguely portrayed. She mentions him a few times, but we never see how he treats her, which is crucial for the plot to work.

At the same time, many personages (the male ones in particular -shock!-) have been reduced to oversimplified caricatures: Darryl comes across as medically brainless; Jimmy, Louise’s boyfriend, is tame and vapid; and the police officer who ended up locked in his car’s boot is turned into a simpleton who loves to hawk that he’s in charge. The latter is more sadistically treated as well, with the expected humorous double standards.

Khouri attempts to pass for profound by adding a racial element to the recount. It would have been a great change if it had been explored adequately — or explored at all. And so, what could have been a compelling side story about Detective Hal Slocumb’s hard efforts as a black man in his position becomes a mere checkpoint with zero dramatic effect. It’s quite unforgivable given that his experiences with racism could have been what triggered his initial sympathy with the protagonists, but that’s a door to pathos the author has vehemently decided to close.

The music is pedestrian and utterly repetitive. Most songs sound the same, and many can’t convey the right feeling for the scene. They’re not well constructed either. There’s no sense of journey, and the endings are unjustifiably abrupt. The lyrics are just as bad. Apart from being superficial, the scansion is usually off, making the verses prosaic and unrefined.

There’s only one reason you might want to give this a go, and I would still advise you to think it over. Rachel Tucker and Amy Lennox deliver superb performances as the leads. The stamina and authenticity they bring to the roles, combined with their overflowing rapport and flawless vocals, rises above the material. Sadly, their talent isn’t enough to make up for the writing’s infinite flaws.

The errors extend to the staging, too. Confusingly, the design features a static, representational bar set that offers little flexibility to depict other spaces — not something this narrative falls short of. This only goes to once again prove how unprepared this adaptation is, as most of its problems are too obvious and, above all, easily preventable. Nonetheless, some viewers may argue they don’t remember feeling this awake while watching the show — but that’s simply because they weren’t.

All pictures credit to Helen Murray.

Thelma & Louise plays at London’s Young Vic until 24 October. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara