Pretty Woman: Star-studded musical brings classic '90s rom-com to life at the Edinburgh Playhouse

Pretty Woman kicked off a hotly-anticipated run at the Edinburgh Playhouse.

It’s one of the most popular rom-coms of all time.

And a star-studded West End adaption of Pretty Woman is now bringing the 1990 blockbuster to life at theatres across the UK and Ireland. Yesterday, it kicked off a hotly-anticipated run at the Edinburgh Playhouse.

Love Island and Dancing on Ice star Amber Davies features as strong-willed Hollywood sex worker Vivien Ward, while Oliver Savile plays billionaire businessman Edward Lewis.

Amber Davies and Oliver Savile star in a stage version of the 1990 rom-com (Marc Brenner

The plot follows off the exploits of the unlikely pairing as Edward picks Amber up and pays for her to spend a week with him in a swanky hotel.

It’s a tall order to pull off roles so firmly associated with the big screen - even more so in the case of those portrayed so famously by Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. But the pair displayed a chemistry which makes their characters firmly believable.

Both showed plenty of prowess behind the mic as they delivered their musical numbers, with an emotional duet on Long Way Home standing out. And despite the story touching on serious themes, they managed to pull off plenty of comedic moments which had the audience erupting into fits of laughter.

The rest of the cast made their presence felt just the same, with Natalia Paris capturing the irreverence of Kit De Luca in an energy-filled performance.

TV presenter Ore Oduba was the other big name from the world of showbiz featuring as hotel manager Mr Thompson as well as playing the part of Happy Man. Forming a spectacular partnership with Giulio (Noah Harrison), the dancing finesse of the 2016 Strictly Winner was one of the show’s highlights.

TV's Ore Oduba is another big name star (Marc Brenner)

Despite being the only real baddie in a feel-good show, Ben Darcy shined as Edward’s unscrupulous lawyer Philip Stuckey, who finds out about his client’s romance with Vivien and attempts to derail their love story.

Made up of newly-penned songs by Bryan Adams and Jim Wallace, the musical repertoire went down a treat with everyone watching. Between power ballads and hair rock anthems, it felt like a soundtrack to the heady days Pretty Woman never fails to make us nostalgic for.

The evening ended perfectly when the cast joined the audience in a rousing rendition of Roy Orbison’s 1964 hit the film was named after. It might be a fair few years since the original movie’s release, but the youthful energy was palpable as the room erupted into song.

It capped off a night of pure fun which paid homage to one of Hollywood’s most iconic stories. You can find out more or buy tickets for Pretty Woman here.