REVIEW: Bank of Dave: The Musical at The Lowry – Our Press Night Theatre Trip to the World Premiere

May 16
7 min read

Three people in suits pose with confidence on a bright blue and orange city backdrop. Floating money and sign: "Bank of Dave The Musical."

Bank of Dave: The Musical Review – A Funny, Heartfelt and Proudly Northern Night at The Lowry

On Thursday 7th May, Lawrence and I headed to The Lowry for the press night of Bank of Dave: The Musical — the brand new British musical based on the true story of Burnley businessman Dave Fishwick.

With the Netflix films already proving hugely popular, there has been so much excitement surrounding this world premiere production, particularly here in the North West where Dave’s story already feels so well known.

As someone who loves new British musicals, I had been really looking forward to finally seeing how the story would translate to the stage.

As always, my dad kindly dropped us off at our usual spot opposite the Imperial War Museum North before Lawrence and I made the familiar walk across the bridge towards The Lowry.

Even before we reached the theatre itself, there already felt like there was a real buzz surrounding the evening.

Smiling woman takes a selfie in front of Bank of Dave the Musical posters outside a theater.

Arriving at The Lowry for Bank of Dave: The Musical

After arriving, we stopped to take some photos outside in front of the show posters before heading towards the special press entrance through the old Pier 8 restaurant entrance, where a red carpet had been set up for invited guests and press.

Just inside the entrance was the press desk where we collected our tickets, programmes and wristbands for the interval drinks reception. There was also a fun little photo opportunity area set up with props inspired by the show, so naturally Lawrence and I took turns taking photos for each other before heading back outside.

The atmosphere around the theatre already felt really exciting, with lots of people gathering outside waiting for the arrival of Dave Fishwick himself.

Smiling woman in floral dress holds Bank of Dave the Musical flyer at a branded step-and-repeat backdrop.

Dave Fishwick’s Arrival & Brass Band Atmosphere

And honestly, this was such a fun way to begin the evening.

Dave Fishwick arrived outside The Lowry in one of his famous minibuses alongside his wife Nicky and a live brass band, instantly creating a real sense of occasion around the world premiere.

The band played several songs while Dave and Nicky posed for photos before walking the red carpet into the theatre.

Afterwards, creators Rob Madge, Pippa Cleary and Nikolai Foster also posed for photos alongside the band and minibus, which added even more excitement surrounding the production.

We stayed outside watching the band for a while before eventually heading back inside to take our seats.

There didn’t appear to be a full merchandise stand for the production, although programmes were available to purchase, which I believe were around £6.

Brass band performs outside a white bus, with trombone, saxophone and drum; smiling man and woman pose beside them.

Our Seats at The Lowry

We entered the Lyric Theatre through Door A and headed to our seats in Row P, Seats 28 and 29.

The view from our seats was absolutely excellent. We had a really clear central view of the stage, and despite being slightly further back in the stalls, we still felt very connected to the production throughout.

It’s definitely a seating area we would happily choose again.

As we entered the auditorium, a pre-show soundtrack presented as a local Burnley radio station was already playing, complete with adverts for local businesses. It was such a clever touch and immediately helped immerse the audience into the world of the musical before the show had even begun.

Smiling couple poses in purple theater seats, holding a Bank of Dave: The Musical program.

The Story of Bank of Dave: The Musical

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 ordinary people repeatedly failed by traditional banks.

After spending years 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 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 Burnley community surrounding him.

One of the things I really loved about Bank of Dave: The Musical was how naturally it balanced humour, warmth and emotion throughout. Although the show explores class divides, financial struggles and the north-south divide, it never feels overly heavy or preachy.

Instead, it remains consistently funny, uplifting and genuinely heartfelt, with the audience regularly switching between laughter and emotional moments throughout the evening.

Two smiling people take a selfie in a theater; stage shows lit BANK OF DAVE sign above purple seats.

Set Design, Music & Atmosphere

Amy Jane Cook’s set design does such a fantastic job of bringing Burnley to life on stage while constantly reinforcing the strong sense of community running throughout the production.

Much of the action takes place inside the local pub, The Talbot, which instantly feels warm, lively and lived-in. Above the stage, the Burnley skyline looms over the set, helping establish the musical’s working-class roots from the very beginning.

The digital screens surrounding the set are also used incredibly effectively throughout the evening, helping transition smoothly between locations while adding humour, movement and atmosphere to the production.

The music and lyrics by Rob Madge and Pippa Cleary are packed with personality, humour and heart.

Opening number Burnley Born and Bred immediately establishes the strong sense of northern pride running throughout the show, while songs like Past the M25 bring huge laughs through their observations about the north-south divide.

While many of the songs are huge fun, the musical also knows exactly when to slow things down emotionally. Lauryn Redding’s Patience becomes one of the standout moments of the evening, 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 lively atmosphere that runs throughout the show.

Theater audience watches a lit stage set with giant BANK OF DAVE letters and actors in a smoky blue industrial backdrop.

Performances

Sam Lupton is absolutely superb as Dave Fishwick and completely anchors the emotional heart of the production.

He brings warmth, humour and vulnerability to the role, making Dave instantly likeable and incredibly easy to root for throughout.

Rather than portraying Dave 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 moments.

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 parts of the story.

Lauryn Redding also delivers one of the evening’s standout performances as Alex, with stunning vocals throughout, particularly during some of the show’s more emotional moments.

Samuel Holmes is also a real scene-stealer throughout the production, perfectly capturing the arrogance and elitism of Sir Charles Denbigh.

The ensemble deserve enormous credit too, constantly filling the stage with energy, humour and personality while helping create the strong sense of community that makes the production feel so special.

Cast bows on stage under Bank of Dave the Musical backdrop, lit by marquee lights, in front of cheering audience.

Interval & Curtain Call Atmosphere

Act One ran for approximately 70 minutes before a 20-minute interval.

During the break, Lawrence and I headed to the press and guest area of the bar where we both got an orange juice while discussing how much we were enjoying the show so far before heading back to our seats for Act Two.

The second act ran for around 65 minutes, bringing the total running time to approximately 2 hours 35 minutes including the interval.

By curtain call, the audience inside The Lowry were cheering loudly and completely invested in Dave’s story.

Following the curtain call, the real Dave Fishwick and his wife Nicky came onto the stage, where Dave gave a short speech to the audience, which made the evening feel even more special and emotional as the production acknowledged the real people behind the story.

After the show, my dad picked us up and drove us home after such a genuinely lovely night at the theatre.

Final Thoughts on Bank of Dave: The Musical

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, humour or strong sense of community.

Combined with fantastic performances, memorable songs and a huge amount of northern charm, the musical creates a feel-good theatre experience that leaves audiences smiling long after the curtain call.

It’s funny, heartfelt, uplifting and proudly northern from start to finish.

And honestly, by the end of the evening, it really did feel like the audience inside The Lowry had become one big community themselves.

If you enjoy uplifting British musicals filled with humour, heart and community spirit, Bank of Dave: The Musical is absolutely worth banking on.

Further Information & Tour Dates

Bank of Dave: The Musical is at The Lowry until Saturday 16th May 2026.

Tickets are available to purchase through The Lowry website.

If you can’t catch it in Salford, the good news is that the production then heads to Curve Leicester from 20th – 30th May 2026.

For full tour information and updates, visit the official Bank of Dave: The Musical website.

If you’d like to read my more theatre-focused review, you can also head over to All About Theatre.

🎥 Watch My Theatre Trip in Weekly Vlog #453

If you’d like to see what Lawrence and I got up to during our press night trip to see Bank of Dave: The Musical at The Lowry, you can watch it in Weekly Vlog #453 below.

Our Bank of Dave: The Musical theatre trip begins at 7:11 in the vlog, although the video also includes some other family moments from our week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYHUmrmOENs