'The Devil Wears Prada' review — Vanessa Williams struts into the West End

Read our review of The Devil Wears Prada, starring Vanessa Williams and Matt Henry, and with music by Elton John, now in performances at the Dominion Theatre.

As one of the most quotable films of the past 20 years, and the source of many, many memes, all eyes are on The Devil Wears Prada as it finally struts into the West End. It has taken a decade for this musical adaptation to open on stage, with a world premiere in Chicago in 2022 and a try-out run in Plymouth earlier this year, and the anticipation has been palpable for a show that boasts creative team heavyweights such as composer Elton John (The Lion King, Billy Elliot) and director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell (Legally Blonde, Pretty Woman).

The biggest pressure, however, no doubt rests on the shoulders of the musical’s star casting, Vanessa Williams as Miranda Priestly — the formidable editor-in-chief of Runway Magazine, inspired by real-life Vogue legend Anna Wintour — who ruins the life of new second assistant Andy Sachs when she naively takes a job in high fashion editorial straight out of college.

Williams has big stilettos to fill in the role of Miranda and, despite the challenges of the Dominion Theatre’s cavernous space, she has an incredible stage presence, sashaying across the huge stage with an air of superiority, her face haughty and pinched. Williams is ruthlessly cut-throat, and offers up those famous one-liners (“Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking” and “By all means move at a glacial pace, you know how that thrills me”) with a withering look.

However, a nuanced take on the fashion editor, this is not. Meryl Streep’s subtle performance in the 2006 film (itself based on the novel by Lauren Weisberger) is a masterclass in cool, icy disdain, and her snubs are disarming because of the gentleness of the delivery. Williams, instead, plays the traditional villain, rising from the depths of hell (through a trap door in the stage floor) and channelling a version of Mode editor Wilhelmina Slater, who she plays in the hit TV series Ugly Betty. The result is fun, but a whole lot less intimidating.

The other star of this show should be the costumes themselves, with Tony Award-winning costume designer Gregg Barnes teaming up with fashion designer Pamella Roland to create the musical’s outfits. There are some eye-catching designs, such as Nigel’s cape coat, which pays homage to Vogue editor-at-large André Leon Talley, as well as Miranda’s red sequin dress for the Met Gala, complete with a red coat slipped over her shoulders. But for a show about the fashion world, the costumes are disappointing. They’re too garish and, in some cases, shapeless — and certainly don’t scream haute couture.

The sets, too, feel as though they lack the required dramatic impact for a space as big as the Dominion — except for the sweeping staircase of the Met Gala and the fashion closet during Andy’s transformation. But the latter moment, which sees Andy swap her lumpy blue (cerulean!) jumper for a pair of skin-tight leather trousers during “Dress Your Way Up”, is hampered by a tediously slow ‘quick change’, a stream of ensemble members bursting through the stage’s double doors before Andy eventually reappears.

However, in her West End debut, Georgie Buckland impresses as ambitious Andy. She is given more agency in this production, owning her decisions in the big solo numbers “Miranda Girl” and “What’s Right For Me?”, while her partner Nate (sweetly played by Rhys Whitfield) loses his toxic boyfriend status from the film and becomes a more supportive, though still sidelined, character. Amy Di Bartolomeo gives a stand-out performance as first assistant Emily, taking Emily Blunt’s highly strung energy and magnifying it on stage. Her camp number “Bon Voyage”, with a team of hot nurses in the hospital, is a highlight, as is “How to Survive at Runway”, which is one of the musical’s few memorable songs.

The show has more room to breathe during Act II (having raced through the film’s iconic moments during the first act) and this allows for creative plot developments such as Matt Henry’s emotional number “Seen” — though this comes too late in the musical and feels like an afterthought. He is criminally underused as art director Nigel, but Olivier Award winner Henry’s solo beautifully conveys how much fashion has shaped his life growing up as a gay man. There is also a fun number (“Who’s She?”) in which Andy embraces her new path and is followed by a group of sexy photographers in black netted shirts. When the musical embraces camp, it does it well.

As for where the show sometimes loses its way, the devil’s in the detail. But fans of the iconic film looking for a high-energy night at the theatre, with an injection of Noughties nostalgia, will find plenty to enjoy – after all, a million girls would kill for this show!

Book The Devil Wears Prada tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Photo credit: Matt Henry and Vanessa Williams in The Devil Wears Prada. (Photo by Matt Crockett)