REVIEW - BANK OF DAVE: THE MUSICAL | THE LOWRY | 07/05/2026
- Sarah Monaghan
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
Bank of Dave: The Musical at The Lowry – A Funny, Heartfelt and Proudly Northern New Musical
Following the success of the Netflix films, Bank of Dave: The Musical has officially arrived on stage, making its world premiere at The Lowry before heading to Curve Leicester later this month.
Based on the true story of Burnley businessman Dave Fishwick, the new British musical tells the story of Dave’s fight to create a community-focused bank designed to help ordinary people after traditional banks repeatedly failed local businesses and residents.
Created by Curve Leicester in partnership with The Lowry, Bank of Dave: The Musical features a book and lyrics by Rob Madge, music and lyrics by Pippa Cleary and direction from Nikolai Foster.
Given the popularity of the Netflix adaptations and the real-life story behind the production, there has been a huge amount of anticipation surrounding Bank of Dave: The Musical, particularly here in the North West where Dave Fishwick’s story already feels so well known.
That excitement was immediately obvious on press night at The Lowry, where the atmosphere inside the theatre felt genuinely special. Audiences arrived excited to see how the much-loved story would translate to the stage, and by the end of the evening, there was a real sense of pride, emotion and community lingering around the theatre long after the curtain call.
Bank of Dave: The Musical tells the true story of Burnley businessman Dave Fishwick and his fight to create a community-focused bank after seeing local people repeatedly turned away by traditional banks.
After years of helping struggling local businesses and residents by offering loans himself, Dave decides to take on Britain’s banking system and attempt the seemingly impossible — opening his own bank designed to help ordinary people rather than profit from them.
However, standing in his way are banking laws, financial regulators and the powerful elite determined to stop him. When London lawyer Hugh is sent north to investigate Dave’s operation, he initially arrives expecting failure, but quickly finds himself drawn into both Dave’s mission and the strong sense of community surrounding him.
One of the biggest strengths of Bank of Dave: The Musical is how naturally it balances its heavier themes with humour, warmth and genuine heart. Although the production explores class divides, financial struggles and the north-south divide, it never feels overly heavy or preachy.
Instead, the show remains consistently funny, uplifting and emotionally grounded throughout, with the audience regularly switching between laughter and genuinely moving moments.
Amy Jane Cook’s set design does a fantastic job of bringing Burnley to life on stage while constantly reinforcing the strong sense of community running throughout the production.
Even before the show began, the production helped establish the world of the musical through a pre-show soundtrack presented as a local Burnley radio station complete with adverts for local businesses.
Much of the action takes place inside the local pub, The Talbot, which instantly feels warm, busy and lived-in. Above the stage, the industrial Burnley skyline looms over the set, helping establish the show’s working-class roots from the very beginning.
One of the standout visual elements is the large illuminated Bank of Dave sign, which dominates the stage throughout many scenes and helps tie the entire production together visually.
The digital screens surrounding the set are also used incredibly effectively throughout the evening, helping transition smoothly between locations while adding humour, atmosphere and movement to the production. Duncan McLean’s video design works particularly well during some of the larger musical numbers and TV interview scenes.
Lighting helps shift seamlessly between the lively pub atmosphere, emotional quieter moments and larger ensemble numbers, while the costumes cleverly highlight the contrast between Burnley locals and the polished world of London banking.
Together, the production creates a stage world that feels vibrant, energetic and full of personality throughout.
The music and lyrics by Rob Madge and Pippa Cleary are packed with personality, humour and heart from start to finish.
Opening number Burnley Born and Bred immediately establishes the strong sense of community and northern pride running throughout the production, while songs like Past the M25 bring plenty of humour through their observations about the north-south divide.
Many of the lyrics are filled with recognisable northern phrases, sharp humour and even the occasional swear word, helping the songs feel authentic rather than overly polished or theatrical.
While many of the musical numbers are huge fun, the production also knows when to slow things down emotionally. Lauryn Redding’s Patience becomes one of the show’s standout moments, while Lucca Chadwick-Patel shines during What Heroes Do.
The choreography adds even more energy and personality to the production, with the larger ensemble numbers helping create the fun, lively atmosphere that runs throughout the show.
There is constantly something happening across the stage, helping maintain strong pacing and keeping the audience fully engaged throughout the evening.
Sam Lupton is absolutely superb as Dave Fishwick and completely anchors the emotional heart of the production.
He brings warmth, humour, vulnerability and enormous charm to the role, making Dave instantly likeable and incredibly easy to root for throughout. Rather than portraying him as some larger-than-life hero, Lupton keeps the character grounded and relatable, which makes the emotional moments connect even more strongly.
Hayley Tamaddon is wonderful as Nicky, bringing warmth and sincerity to Dave’s wife while helping ground many of the show’s more heartfelt scenes.
Lucca Chadwick-Patel is hugely charming as Hugh, the London lawyer who slowly finds himself emotionally invested in both Dave’s mission and the Burnley community surrounding him. His character arc becomes one of the strongest and most enjoyable parts of the story.
Lauryn Redding also delivers one of the evening’s standout performances as Alex. Her vocals throughout the production are stunning, particularly during some of the show’s more emotional moments.
Claire Moore also brings warmth and heart to the role of Maureen, while Samuel Holmes is a real scene-stealer throughout the production, perfectly capturing the arrogance and elitism of Sir Charles Denbigh.
The ensemble deserve enormous credit as well, constantly filling the stage with energy, humour and personality while helping create the strong sense of community that makes the production feel so special.
By curtain call, the audience inside The Lowry were cheering loudly, visibly emotional and completely invested in Dave’s story.
What makes Bank of Dave: The Musical work so well is that, despite the larger themes surrounding banking, politics and class divides, the production never loses its warmth or sense of community. The show constantly feels grounded in real people, real struggles and genuine northern humour, which is exactly why it connects so strongly emotionally.
Combined with the strong performances and memorable songs, the production creates a musical that feels uplifting, funny and genuinely moving throughout.
Sam Lupton leads the cast brilliantly, supported by an incredibly talented ensemble who bring huge energy and personality to the stage from beginning to end.
Overall, Bank of Dave: The Musical is funny, heartfelt and full of northern charm. It’s one of those musicals that leaves audiences walking out of the theatre smiling and already recommending it to everyone they know.
Funny, heartfelt and full of northern charm, Bank of Dave: The Musical is a new British musical absolutely worth banking on.
Bank of Dave: The Musical will be at The Lowry until Saturday, 16th May 2026. Tickets are available for purchase through the link provided below.
Bank of Dave: The Musical will be at The Curve Leicester from 20th - 30th May 2026. Tickets are available for purchase through the link provided below.
For more information about the show, please click the button below to visit the official website.
Photo Credit - Mark Brenner
*Our tickets for this show were kindly gifted in exchange for an honest review.