Jersey Boys – Review – Hull New Theatre
By Rachel Howard, September 2026
It says something when a musical can still pull in the crowds more than 20 years after first hitting the stage, but that’s exactly what greets me at the opening night of Jersey Boys at Hull New Theatre.
The boys are back – and so it would seem are the loyal, devoted fans of the jukebox musical, based on the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. The auditorium is packed out and I’d hazard a guess that the vast majority have seen the musical before – perhaps numerous times.
It’s second time round for me, the first being a number of years ago, so I’m looking forward to reacquainting myself with the New Jersey teens who ended up taking the music world by storm.
Written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, Jersey Boys tells the real-life rags-to-riches story of four sons of Italian immigrants growing up in the housing projects of northern New Jersey. Crime, poverty and links to the Mafia could easily have dealt out a different life for Frankie, Tommy, Nick and Bob, but fortunately (for them and for us) they chose music. The rest, as they say, is history.
“Prolonged ovation”
Whilst the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons may be well known, the rollercoaster story of their formation and subsequent years may be a little more unfamiliar. After getting their break in the mid-1950s, it was Francesco Stephen Castelluccio’s (aka Frankie Valli) falsetto voice that really stood them apart from the pack. Those iconic vocals on tracks including ‘Sherry’, ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’ and ‘Walk Like A Man’ sent the group stratospheric, hitting the pop charts 40 times during the 1960s.
But that meteoric rise to fame wasn’t all smooth sailing. Personal loss, financial troubles and rocky relationships within the group made for a rough ride at times, culminating in arguments and, ultimately, walk outs.
Bringing the story to life on stage tonight are Luke Baker (Frankie), Carlo Boumouglbay (Tommy), Lewis Kennedy (Nick) and Toby Miles (Bob). All four encapsulate the quartet perfectly, even if it does take a while to adjust to the thick New Jersey accents! But it’s Yorkshire’s own Luke Baker as Valli that really shines through. His voice is pitch perfect, leaving the audience in awe with his emotional rendition of ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’. It’s rare to get such a prolonged ovation mid-way through a show, but it’s 100% deserving.
The set design is simple yet effective, providing an industrial steel framework that seamlessly switches between apartment buildings and concert stages.
“Snappier”
The costumes, as you would expect, are perfectly of the time, changing to reflect each decade and finishing up with the famous red suits that became so synonymous with the group.
But what really brings this production to life is, quite rightly, the music. Led by Musical Director Lauren Ronan, the musicians provide the perfect backdrop for our singers, even making a guest appearance on stage at one point. A long first half (1hr 15mins) makes way for a much snappier second half, where songs including ‘Beggin’’, ‘Bye Bye Baby’ and ‘Working My Way Back To You’ get everyone’s toes tapping, concluding with a standing ovation to round off a great night.
This is Jersey Boys’ 20th Anniversary Tour, and given the enduring sense of love and enthusiasm for this production, I can see it going for another 20 years, if not more.
If Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons are up your street, I’m Beggin’ you to head down to Hull New Theatre and grab a ticket before it sells out!
Jersey Boys is at Hull New Theatre until 3rd October
images: Mark Senior
After studying English at university and having a lifelong love of writing, Rachel, a full-time editor, came to On Yorkshire in 2017 where she started off reviewing theatre productions in and around the East Yorkshire area. That love of theatre soon expanded into hotels, restaurants and travel, not to mention becoming one of On Yorkshire’s resident beauty editors, reviewing the latest products, spas and treatments. Rachel loves to sample the very best Yorkshire and the UK have to offer in order to bring you the low down on the high life!
