Some shows entertain you; this one sweeps you straight back into childhood and hands you a hymn book. James B Partridge brought his Primary School Bangers tour to the New Victoria Theatre in Woking tonight, and for two and a half gleefully nostalgic hours the audience sang like they hadn’t since Year 4.
Partridge — a singer, pianist and the mastermind behind the Primary School Bangers phenomenon — has built a devoted following by turning assembly staples into full volume sing along celebrations. His website describes him as someone who transforms the songs we grew up with into shared joy, and live on stage that feels exactly right. He’s warm, energetic, and completely at ease guiding a theatre full of adults back into the mindset of excitable eight‑year‑olds.
The night opened with One More Step Along The World I Go, and from that moment the room was his. Shine Jesus Shine — still, undeniably, the greatest assembly song ever written — had the crowd belting out the lyrics with the kind of abandon usually reserved for stadium gigs. We hopped through 90s TV themes and adverts, visited the end of term disco and some classic tunes, before heading into campfire territory with Ging Gang Goolie and a wonderfully chaotic and surprisingly tuneful four‑part round of Kookaburra.
What really elevates the show is Partridge’s musicianship. He’s a genuinely talented vocalist and pianist, and after the interval he proved it by taking audience requests and improvising a mash‑up of a hymn, Steps and Bon Jovi. It shouldn’t have worked — but it absolutely did, and the audience sang along in appreciation!
Between songs, he stitches everything together with light‑hearted reflections and gentle reminiscing. Nothing feels forced; he’s simply a natural performer who knows exactly how to tap into shared memory. If don’t know all the words – you can simply scan a QR code for the show song book in the foyer so you can sing along even louder!!
The result is a night that’s fun, wholesome, and irresistibly uplifting. If you get the chance to go, take it — and don’t be surprised if you leave humming.
Reviewed by Alexa Gardner.
Four and a Half Stars.
https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/james-b-partridge-primary-school-bangers/new-victoria-theatre/
Theatre, Art and Film Reviews 
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