Fans of the first Back to the Future film, released in 1985, won’t be disappointed by the musical theatre adaptation. In fact, they’re in for a blast. The ingenious plot is cleverly told in the live version, with appealing songs and energetic dance numbers – not to mention some spectacular effects that seem to defy probability – that propel the time-travelling tale.

Roger Bart as Doc Brown and Axel Duffy as Marty McFly in Back to the Future: The Musical. Photo © Daniel Boud

Staging it as a musical may not add any more psychological or dramatic depth to the story, but it makes for a hugely entertaining, buzzy evening that thrills at times with its inventive staging, while putting a smile on your (speedometer) dial.

With a book by Bob Gale (who wrote the movie with Robert Zemeckis) and music and lyrics by Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard, Back to the Future: The Musical premiered in Manchester in the UK in 2020, then transferred to the West End (where it is still running) the following year. The Broadway production followed in 2023.

The plot is a...