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Sonia hails Scouse roots as musical comes to region

BBC Sonia sits on the red sofa in the BBC North West Tonight studio. She has a broad smile, her wavy strawberry blonde hair is in a high ponytail. She wears a grey floral dress.BBC
Sonia will appear in the show as herself, singing the 1980s hits that brought her to fame

Liverpool-born popstar Sonia has said she "can't wait" for Scouse audiences to see her in a colourful new musical celebrating "80 bangers".

Now That's What I Call A Musical focuses on the decade in which the first Now That's What I Call Music compilation album was released.

Sonia, who had a number one hit with You'll Never Stop Me Loving You in 1989, will appear as herself in the show singing the songs that brought her to fame.

"Every single song on those tapes and CDs was a banger, so every single song in our show is a banger," the 53-year-old said.

Sonia said the show, which opened in 2024, had "gone down a storm" everywhere it had run.

It is showing until Saturday at Manchester Opera House and will be at the Liverpool Empire from March.

Sonia added: "Obviously I love Liverpool, it's my home town. I've played the Empire quite a few times. I can't wait for the audiences to see it, honestly I can't wait I'm so excited."

ROYO Entertainment Ltd Two young women sit on a bar. One has dark hair and wears a pink metallic, strapless dress. She has her head on the others shoulder. The other has blonde hair and wears a gold metallic dress and is smiling down at her friend.ROYO Entertainment Ltd
Sonia said the show, which opened in 2024, has "gone down a storm"

Sonia said the show, which tells the story of two school friends in Birmingham, is "really funny" but also contains "beautiful pieces of drama".

The story begins in 1989 when teenagers Gemma and April promise to be best friends forever and picks up again in 2009 when their lives have taken different paths and they are set to attend their school reunion.

"You find out through the journey of music what happens," Sonia said.

"We're using songs that everyone loves and remembers, it's music that reminds you where you were when it came out."

The show is directed and choreographed by Strictly Come Dancing's Craig Revel Horwood, who Sonia said is "such a gentleman".

"We've got some great dance moves in there and he's such a lovely person," she said.

"I know people sometimes think he's scary on the telly but he's so not like that."

ROYO Entertainment Ltd A man wearing a blonde bushy wig, sunglasses, white trousers and jacket lies across a stand containing copies of films from the 70s and 80s. Women in silver space age-style suits stand either site of him wearing pink wigs and sunglasses.ROYO Entertainment Ltd
Sonia said the musical would go down well with younger audiences

She said she knew the musical would go down well with younger audiences as her 14-year-old daughter was "always blasting out 80s music".

"She loves all the music and I'll say 'how do you know that?'," Sonia said.

"When the kids hear the songs now they think they're hearing them for the first time because they're that good."

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