I am surprised this was done by the creative team behind the musical Memphis. I enjoyed that show. Diana has some of the worst lyrics I have ever heard. I laughed a lot at the choreography. This is the ideal show to watch if you are a fan of train wrecks.
77 Reviews
A car crash
vqzwffv10 October 2021
A lyrically bankrupt torture scene lasting two hours cleverly edited to feel like four.
The only saving grace is the use of the word "sod" five times (an underrated insult) and Barbara Cartland's introduction of James Hewitt, the majesty of which is a sight to behold.
The only saving grace is the use of the word "sod" five times (an underrated insult) and Barbara Cartland's introduction of James Hewitt, the majesty of which is a sight to behold.
I just couldn't finish it
zinitime17 October 2021
Warning: Spoilers
It started off all right, but it was downhill all the way. The music was uninspired with lyrics that were something a child would write. The story is something we all know. I found it biased in its telling, and I found myself feeling terrible for the princes. They really didn't need all of this mess stirred up again. It's time to bury their painful past. I hope William and Harry never see it!
Charles and Diana were never in love. She was infatuated with him as a girl. He was pushed into a marriage by his mother, which NEVER works out well. He proposed within weeks, not month, not years. He barely knew her, nor she him. She didn't have a good education, and they had nothing in common.
That is the recipe for a disastrous marriage. And, that's what they got.
There's nothing of value in this musical, just one poor musical number after another as it highlights the horrors of a marriage destined to die.
Charles and Diana were never in love. She was infatuated with him as a girl. He was pushed into a marriage by his mother, which NEVER works out well. He proposed within weeks, not month, not years. He barely knew her, nor she him. She didn't have a good education, and they had nothing in common.
That is the recipe for a disastrous marriage. And, that's what they got.
There's nothing of value in this musical, just one poor musical number after another as it highlights the horrors of a marriage destined to die.
Runs the gamut from dreadful to hilarious.
barbaraehiggins3 October 2021
Ridiculous, laughable, toe curlingly awful.
More questions than answers...Why didn't they ask some English people to check the script? Why are the paparazzi in 1940s fancy dress? Why was Wales labelled? What were they thinking making this at all? Is it actually supposed to be a comedy?
More questions than answers...Why didn't they ask some English people to check the script? Why are the paparazzi in 1940s fancy dress? Why was Wales labelled? What were they thinking making this at all? Is it actually supposed to be a comedy?
Pretty much the cringiest thing I've seen
youhavemail2 October 2021
Horrifying in every way
joebnow4 October 2021
I gave it a one because zero stars is not an option. A jaw dropping event. Hysterical, stupid, but ultimately, just damned depressing. Is this really where musical theater has gone? Into the hands of rank amateurs? It had to be written by the fifteen year old nephew of one of the producers who based his knowledge of the story on tabloid headlines. Not tabloid stories, just the headlines! If this opened during the Golden Age of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, Jule Styne and Frank Loesser, it would have closed at intermission. Today it will run five years and stupid theatergoers will jump to their feet screaming with delight at the curtain call. Like I said a depressing example of NYC theater today. Rotten music, second grade version of events, inane lyrics, embarrassing performances, ugly design and inept direction and choreography Did I mention I find it insulting, demoralizing, and sad. Oh and that it's hateful in every respect.
Awful, just dreadful
edubes-446113 October 2021
Worse than a middle school play
gulinn4 October 2021
The lyrics, the music, the costumes... It is so bad and cringey I could barely get through the first 12 minutes of it, and decided not to stick it out for 75 more.
Diana is nothing more than a clueless ditz, Charles an oblivious snob and the Queen an emotionless drill sergeant. Nothing likable or even remotely enjoyable about any of the characters, not even Diana. Lyrics and dialogue written from a meta point of view, like everyone knows how this ends and does what they do anyway. No emotion, no depth, no motivation to any of the characters.
This is cringey even for old school Broadway lovers.
Diana is nothing more than a clueless ditz, Charles an oblivious snob and the Queen an emotionless drill sergeant. Nothing likable or even remotely enjoyable about any of the characters, not even Diana. Lyrics and dialogue written from a meta point of view, like everyone knows how this ends and does what they do anyway. No emotion, no depth, no motivation to any of the characters.
This is cringey even for old school Broadway lovers.
Solid
nuffieflush7 October 2021
I honestly dont undestand all the bad reviews on this one, definetely overhated.
It does have some cringy lines and weak dialogue but its overall a more than decent musical. Theres no song in partiuclar that drove me crazy but the choreography, script and production are good.
It is an almost sung-through musical, so keep that in mind in case you expected some scattered songs throught.
Regarding veracity, i have no idea tbh. I couldnt care less about the royal family of the UK so it might have not been 100% historically accurate and i probably woulndt have noticed. For my basic knowledge, it covered it all but i couldnt testify to it being perfect in that area.
Overall an entertaining musical that doesnt particularly bring anything new to the table but its more than an acceptable addition.
If you are not a fan of musicals, this wont be the one that makes you like them, so maybe just skip it.
If you usually enjoy musicals, give it a chance!!
It does have some cringy lines and weak dialogue but its overall a more than decent musical. Theres no song in partiuclar that drove me crazy but the choreography, script and production are good.
It is an almost sung-through musical, so keep that in mind in case you expected some scattered songs throught.
Regarding veracity, i have no idea tbh. I couldnt care less about the royal family of the UK so it might have not been 100% historically accurate and i probably woulndt have noticed. For my basic knowledge, it covered it all but i couldnt testify to it being perfect in that area.
Overall an entertaining musical that doesnt particularly bring anything new to the table but its more than an acceptable addition.
If you are not a fan of musicals, this wont be the one that makes you like them, so maybe just skip it.
If you usually enjoy musicals, give it a chance!!
Awful
ingamazonaite5 October 2021
Just Brilliant and Fun
snkthehills14 October 2021
From the first note this musical is quite ridiculous, but such a lot of fun. It tells the story of Diana from getting married to when she died, but in song. The songs are catchy, but amazingly jaw droppingly off the wall.
This musical doesn't pretend to be high-brow (which no musicals are to be honest). It's just pure entertainment. I can honestly say I haven't enjoyed a musical so much as this one since Hairspray came out.
This musical doesn't pretend to be high-brow (which no musicals are to be honest). It's just pure entertainment. I can honestly say I haven't enjoyed a musical so much as this one since Hairspray came out.
Don't Knock It Until You Try It
belindamissen-110 October 2021
Just about every review for this trashed it before I had a chance to watch it, so I went in with low expectations.
Is it cliche? Yep.
Is it cheesy? Yep.
Haven't we heard it all before? Yep.
Still, I enjoyed it.
Sure, it's no Phantom or Rogers & Hammerstein spectacular, but it's a boppy, kitschy, ninety-minute sing-fest through the royal family. And, really, there's only so much you can cram into a musical that covers 30+ years of someone's life, so don't go in expecting anything too deep and meaningful.
But it is a decent way to spend an afternoon, the sets are well designed, as are the costumes.
Is it cliche? Yep.
Is it cheesy? Yep.
Haven't we heard it all before? Yep.
Still, I enjoyed it.
Sure, it's no Phantom or Rogers & Hammerstein spectacular, but it's a boppy, kitschy, ninety-minute sing-fest through the royal family. And, really, there's only so much you can cram into a musical that covers 30+ years of someone's life, so don't go in expecting anything too deep and meaningful.
But it is a decent way to spend an afternoon, the sets are well designed, as are the costumes.
Abysmal!
kowas_28 October 2021
What do you say that hasn't been said by others? This is truely so bad that it's good. Terrible music, woeful choreography and predictable AF!
I mean what do you do differently? I guess write terrible lyrics? Seems like this musical really likes to have a crowd on stage. Maybe this was a nod to the fact that there were always people around Diana? I doubt they were that clever judging by the book was written! I didn't walk away with any excitement or was wowed by any melody or lyric. The forceful comedy relief the really pushing the sexy jock narrative. I don't feel anything for Diana and if I didn't know the story or the well documented tragedy I doubt I would have felt anything.
Good things Hmmmm the actor's voices are great. Look watch this but know it's bad.
I mean what do you do differently? I guess write terrible lyrics? Seems like this musical really likes to have a crowd on stage. Maybe this was a nod to the fact that there were always people around Diana? I doubt they were that clever judging by the book was written! I didn't walk away with any excitement or was wowed by any melody or lyric. The forceful comedy relief the really pushing the sexy jock narrative. I don't feel anything for Diana and if I didn't know the story or the well documented tragedy I doubt I would have felt anything.
Good things Hmmmm the actor's voices are great. Look watch this but know it's bad.
Netflix craps musicals now
Moviedog261 October 2021
Godawful crap
rswason7 October 2021
The Latest by Max Bialystock!
JonathanWalford8 October 2021
The second biggest car crash to Diana's legacy.
derrypembroketallett25 August 2022
Where to begin. Well, the music and lyrics are awful. The musical style doesn't fit with the plot or period, the lyrics are like the last desperate entries in a rhyming dictionary, how does 'intellect' rhyme with 'discotheque' to anyone with hearing? The performances are as good as the accents. The accents are clearly as result of coaching by Dick Van Dyke.
The best thing about it was the curtain coming down at the end. The one thing that baffles me the most is how someone along the way to making this production didn't flag up how much of a bad idea this was in the first place.
The best thing about it was the curtain coming down at the end. The one thing that baffles me the most is how someone along the way to making this production didn't flag up how much of a bad idea this was in the first place.
Trainwreck !!!
scotth86116 October 2021
Everything about this musical is just bad and it's amazing that the producers and creators couldn't see this.
The songs have some of the worst lyrics that I have ever heard, to the point that they just became laughable.
Everything about the production looks cheap. I can't say that any of the performances were good either. Jeanna de Waal has a lovely voice but her portrayal of Diana is wooden and lifeless.
Judy Kaye has always been a wonderfully talented Broadway actress but she turns Queen Elizabeth into a caricature. Good actors can't always save bad material.
The songs have some of the worst lyrics that I have ever heard, to the point that they just became laughable.
Everything about the production looks cheap. I can't say that any of the performances were good either. Jeanna de Waal has a lovely voice but her portrayal of Diana is wooden and lifeless.
Judy Kaye has always been a wonderfully talented Broadway actress but she turns Queen Elizabeth into a caricature. Good actors can't always save bad material.
Absolute drivel.
juliafrizzell6 October 2021
If I could've given this a -10 stars, I would have. Do yourself a favor and just avoid this at all cost. And if you must, then have the bleach ready for your eyeballs and earmuffs for your ears. You're going to need it.
AWFUL.
AWFUL.
Great in every way
jfortuno11 October 2021
Not as bad as everyone has been saying.
sophiemiller-2251317 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I am a musical fanatic. I am a performer myself as I do musical theater as well as technical theater. I'm going to be honest, this musical is not as bad as everyone has been saying. My initial impressions were it was going to be as wack as everyone has been saying, but it actually is quite a normal musical. The orchestra scene (which went viral) was weird. The whole dance sequence in that song was a little questionable. Also, the Diana, Camilla confrontation in act 2 had horrible writing. Rhyming Camilla with Manila, really? That makes me think of Manila, Philippines. The writing in other parts was somewhat questionable but not horrible like in was in those two songs. To note, I did not find any noteable songs. The rest of the songs besides the two I have mentioned were ok, they weren't horrible, just ok. Despite that, the actor's performances in this were amazing. This is what actually makes the mediocre songs watchable in my opinion. Also, the set looked amazing as well as the costumes. I love how the set was able to utilize so many moving components and still make the set look like a grand castle. Also, the costumes are so beautiful (especially Diana's) I heard that Diana has over 100 costumes in this show and it is amazing to see how stunning they all look. Oooh and the quick changes, those were some of my favorite parts to watch. My favorite was in the act 1 finalle where she changes from the red sparkling dress to the white dress. Stunning and I cannot get enough of the costumes. Also, I love the significance in act 2 with Diana wearing a primo dress and the Queen wearing a toned down pink dress to symbolize that the Queen (as a character) views herself when she was young like Diana. It's the small connections and symbolisms that make it count. Overall, I feel like it would have been so much better to view the experience in person. I believe that would have made the effects look cooler in person. To add, if the writing was changed up a bit for better lyrics, this could have been an amazing show. It is just the poor writing at some parts that hinder the show. The actors did the best they could possibly do to still convey every point. Honestly, I just think people are over reacting a bit to how bad it is. Yes, it is no Hamilton, but it doesn't deserve this much hate. It's an ok musical and I am ok with admitting that.
Shocking
linda-glass18 October 2021
Like the time my dog ate cooked turkey giblets
webstercharlotte10 October 2021
Once my dog ate a large section of cooked turkey giblets string included and when he did a poo the string ran through the middle of it holding section of poo together in one long line. That's what this is like in terms of its musical strength. It's one bit of poo strung together by very poor string-like dialogue.
This doesn't know what it is or what it's trying to be is the take-home feeling I had. The cast aren't bad as in their vocals and performances (characters aside) are pretty sharp and don't miss but they're lost in the tack. I feel bad for the cast to be honest they must have known this was a big chance to take and it was gonna be loved or loathed. Maybe it will do well or at least better as a live stage show complete with audience but I can recall and sing at least one line from every song having just watched it the once so that's how mediocre and run of the mill generic, predictable and generally naff and unremarkable the songs are.
Stage, costumes, lighting etc - really well done. Just not enough to carry the rest unfortunately.
This doesn't know what it is or what it's trying to be is the take-home feeling I had. The cast aren't bad as in their vocals and performances (characters aside) are pretty sharp and don't miss but they're lost in the tack. I feel bad for the cast to be honest they must have known this was a big chance to take and it was gonna be loved or loathed. Maybe it will do well or at least better as a live stage show complete with audience but I can recall and sing at least one line from every song having just watched it the once so that's how mediocre and run of the mill generic, predictable and generally naff and unremarkable the songs are.
Stage, costumes, lighting etc - really well done. Just not enough to carry the rest unfortunately.
Shameful
Barnabus7627 October 2021
This should have never been written at all let alone brought to life on stage then to Netflix! Horrible. They should be ashamed of this and the Diana's children should sue for this to disappear. Horrible acting, singing and dancing. Don't waste your time.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
