Let us not kid ourselves. It is not the score, jaunty though it is, nor the reasonably witty lyrics, nor the appealing young cast who portray the gaggle of lonely, professional, affluent New Yorkers on the lookout for love, that have smoothed the passage of this show into the West End. It is the fact that this is an instantly recognisable piece of juvenilia by the team that went on to create and write the TV hit Friends . The peg for this revue-style show of songs and sketches is the lonelyhearts column. A personable cast of six perform with a bright, witty attack.
Personals is charming, full of energy and well-groomed.
It's also on the thin side of slender, not as funny as it thinks it is and lacking in anything serious to say. It's easy on the ear and easy on the eye, but it's also easy on the mind. And, let's face it, most of us are looking for that little bit more from a relationship. Personals takes the shape of a musical comedy revue focusing on the sorry plight of lonely hearts in New York. The book and lyrics are by the team behind the phenomenally successful TV series Friends , which means they are full of that brittle New York humour and wistful Big City blues.