I went into Pretty Woman: The Musical as someone who enjoyed the film. That’s about as far as my expectations went.
Walking out, I felt mildly underwhelmed. But sitting with it afterwards, I think that says more about me than the show. It did exactly what it set out to do. And I’ve come to think that’s worth acknowledging.
1. What You’re Getting Into
If you know the film, you know the story. Vivian. Edward. Beverly Hills. The necklace box. You’re not here to be surprised by the plot.
What you might not know is that the music isn’t a jukebox collection of songs from the movie era. Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance wrote an entirely original score for this production, covering rock, pop, ballads, even a bit of tango, alongside the Roy Orbison title track that started it all.
The songs are enjoyable, but they’re largely forgettable. The lyrics in particular feel like not much effort was made. You’ll leave humming Oh, Pretty Woman and not much else. It’s the weakest part of the show.
The cast, fortunately, is not.
2. Leah Mari
I first saw Leah Mari in My Fair Lady and something stood out immediately. She doesn’t perform characters. She inhabits them. That’s still true here.
As Vivian Ward, she’s believable from the first moment. The warmth, the street-smart humour, the vulnerability – none of it reads as performance. Her voice is strong and controlled, but it’s her ease on stage that’s harder to come by. She’s not showing you Vivian. She just is Vivian.
She’s a Fleur du Cap Award winner, and having watched her across a few productions now, I think she’s one of the more interesting performers working in SA musical theatre at the moment. Keep an eye on what she does next.
3. The Rest of the Cast
Christopher Jaftha as Edward Lewis is well-cast. He has the physicality and composure the role needs, and his chemistry with Leah Mari feels real. He does strain vocally in a few moments, particularly when the score pushes into rock territory, but his dramatic performance holds up.
Tiaan Rautenbach plays multiple roles: Happy Man, hotel manager Mr Thompson, and several others. He’s very funny throughout and the audience clearly knew it.
There was also an unplanned moment that I think said more about him than anything scripted could. After the interval, the show resumed but the sound went out within the first few minutes. The curtains closed, we waited about five minutes for the issue to be sorted, and then they restarted from the top of that scene.
There’s a running gag in the show where another character asks Happy Man when Oh, Pretty Woman is coming, and he teases the audience about it. When it came around the second time, Rautenbach ad-libbed: “Like I’ve already told you…” There was an audible chuckle from the room, the kind that comes when an audience realises they’re all in on the same joke. It was a small thing, but it was perfectly handled. That’s not just comedic timing. That’s a performer who’s completely at ease and completely present.
There’s also a small detail worth mentioning: sewn onto his costume is a South African flag. In a show set in Los Angeles in 1989, it’s a quiet acknowledgement of where we are and who’s bringing this story to life. I liked that.
Thuto Lesedi Gaasenwe as Kit De Luca, Vivian’s best friend, brings real energy to the role. She’s not in it enough.
4. Two Names to Watch
Two performances stood out beyond the leads.
Bradley Smith plays David Morse, the love interest who complicates things between Vivian and Edward. It’s not a big role, but I’ve been watching Bradley work through SA productions over the past few years (MAMMA MIA!, Beauty and the Beast, Joseph) and there’s something that’s always stood out about him. He’s comfortable on stage in a way that’s hard to teach. He played this one with enough charm that the character felt like an actual person rather than a plot device. He’s building something.
Stuart Brown is the other one. If you saw him in We Will Rock You, you noticed him. If you saw him in Dear Evan Hansen, where he took on a lead role originated by Ben Platt on Broadway, you’d understand why I’m mentioning him here. In Pretty Woman he’s in the ensemble as Alfredo, which given his track record feels a little like watching someone run a warm-up lap. His commitment is visible in every moment regardless of what the billing says. He’s a LAMTA graduate and a Fleur du Cap Award winner. He’ll be leading shows for a long time.
5. The Set
The production doesn’t try to fully reconstruct Beverly Hills hotel suites or Rodeo Drive boutiques. It uses fragments (architectural suggestions, lighting, just enough) and trusts the audience to do the rest.
It works well. Scene changes are quick, the visual language is clean, and your imagination fills in the gaps in a way that keeps you engaged. I’d rather a set that respects the audience’s intelligence than one that tries to do everything for them.
6. Is the Pretty Woman Musical Worth Your Time?
That depends on what you’re looking for.
If you want a show that challenges you or stays with you, this probably isn’t it. The lyrics won’t impress you. Some songs will have blurred into each other by the next morning. Critics have questioned whether a stage version of Pretty Woman was ever necessary, and it’s a fair question.
But I keep coming back to the sold-out opening week. There’s a version of this conversation that misses the point. This is a show that gives people a reason to get dressed up, go out, and share something together – whether they’ve seen the film ten times or never. That’s not nothing. And this production does it well.
It works well as a date night. It works well if you loved the film. Any seat in the Teatro is fine; it’s a well-designed venue and the show is staged to read from anywhere.
7. Before You Go
The show runs 2 hours 30 minutes including a 15-minute interval.
If you’re making a proper evening of it, arrive early and eat first. Donatellas, one of my favourite restaurants in Montecasino, is running a Pretty Woman pre-show set menu: R385 for two courses or R565 for three courses, both with complimentary Durbanville Hills wine. Other restaurants have their own versions too, so it’s worth a walk around when you arrive. Just make sure you book ahead on weekends – Montecasino fills up.
On Showtime Management
I’ve mentioned Showtime Management a few times across these reviews because they’re the reason productions like this happen in South Africa. Headed by Hazel and Tony Feldman, they’ve been bringing international-standard musical theatre to SA stages for years – My Fair Lady, Dear Evan Hansen, MAMMA MIA!, and Chicago among them. MAMMA MIA! returns to the Teatro in October, and there’s more in the pipeline.
Worth following on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.
Pretty Woman: The Musical runs at the Teatro at Montecasino, Johannesburg until 31 May 2026.
Tickets from R280 (Terrific Tuesdays from R200) at ticketmaster.co.za.
PG 12+. Mature themes, language, and some sexual content. No children under 4.
Tickets courtesy of Showtime Management. All opinions are my own.
