I’ve never watched a single episode of Only Fools and Horses.
Before you come at me in the comments, I’m not a complete heathen. In fact, classic British comedies like Red Dwarf, Blackadder and Father Ted are a huge part of my life – but the antics of Del Boy and his brother Rodney have eluded me for 28 years.
Until now, that is. I decided to plunge right in at the deep end and headed to Manchester’s Opera House to watch the live stage musical version of the BBC sitcom. Co-written by and starring Gone Fishing star Paul Whitehouse, the musical promised to be a sensation for fans of the programme, but I had no idea how I would fare.
But thankfully, I got it. I was familiar with characters like Boycie, Trigger and Grandad – even if I didn’t know the intricacies of their backgrounds and personalities. The musical proved an incredible introduction to an ensemble of characters most of the nation knows and loves – and endeared them to me, too.
Though the musical has been a London staple since 2019, this year it’s been touring the country – premiering in York in October 2024.
The plot’s a simple one; set a year before the events of the episode The Jolly Boys’ Outing, Del Boy (played by the incredible Sam Lupton) has signed up with a new dating agency, determined to get himself a girlfriend while his brother Rodney (Tom Major) is off marrying Cassandra (Nicola Munns).
The musical then introduces Del’s long-term partner Raquel Turner (played here by Georgina Hagen) for the first time, and we witness a typical Derek Trotter scheme to convince her he’s a talent agent determined to sign her as an actress – before ultimately discovering her real career.
Grandad (Paul Whitehouse) is meanwhile lamenting having to put up with the Trotter brothers, while Boycie’s desperately trying to get Marlene up the duff and all the while the menacing Driscoll brothers are lurking threateningly around the set.
Iconic hardman Vinnie Jones is set to take on the role of Danny Driscoll when the touring show hits London later this month, but actor Peter Watts did an incredible job in the Manchester production.
The original songs are in turn bouncy (Bit of a Sort), cheeky (Gaze Into My Ball) and emotional (The Girl). Covers of tracks like Bill Withers’ Lovely Day had the audience joining in, but it was the songs penned by Whitehouse and co-writer Jim Sullivan that really shone.
Of course, there were the classic sitcom moments that had the audience roaring – when the iconic yellow Reliant was wheeled out onto the stage, and the moment Del recreated falling through the bar in Yuppy Love. But surprisingly there was more than one poignant moment in the musical, too – and I felt my eyes misting over.
From the little I knew about Only Fools, it was that Del was always ready to get one over on his brother Rodney – though the pair have a deep-rooted love for one another, episodes like the banned Christmas special A Royal Flush saw him doing anything to get one over on Rodney.
So I expected their relationship to be a bit fraught. But instead, I watched as Del made a huge sacrifice for his brother. I watched how Rodney looked up to Del. And I watched how Grandad looked out for them both, feeling guilty he couldn’t provide for them, and yes, there were tears.
Would I binge the series after this? Let’s just say I’ve put the box set on my Christmas list.
Only Fools and Horses The Musical’s UK tour continues until 5 July 2025.
Venues and tickets: OnlyFoolsOnStage.com