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Review – 4**** The Rocket Man: A Tribute to Sir Elton John – Adelphi Theatre

A greatest hits package showcasing the unique talent of a boy from Pinner who could knock out a decent tune!

When Reg Dwight first took the stage as a teenage keyboardist with Bluesology few could have imagined what lay ahead. But a sliding doors moment arrived when he placed an advert for a songwriting partner. He found Bernie Taupin, a lyricist who could set words to the music at his fingertips. Reg now dubbed Elton John was on his way to superstardom and a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He has been an integral part of the pop music scene since the early 70s and has no end of imitators queuing to pay homage. But the best of them is Jimmy Love who first cut his teeth on the Legends Tribute show in Blackpool.

Jimmy bounds onto stage in a gold lame suit similar to the one worn by Elton at Glastonbury last year. Fortunately the same height and build he has mastered the demeanour which proves long periods of study at close quarters. Jimmy is a brilliant pianist and backed by an equally superlative five piece band; Kevin Armstrong on bass, Matthew Angelo on guitar, Steve Mackrill on drums and Tom Stevens on keyboards. The line-up was completed by Tara Marie Armstrong who provided sterling support on backing vocals.

Friendly and good natured Jimmy quickly built a rapport with the audience. The patter between songs was welcome as he provided useful biographical details of Elton’s life. This is an important feature which is often overlooked by other tribute acts. In true Elton style the show was punctuated by frequent costume changes which helped illustrate various stages of Elton’s career.

And of course there are the songs, but what to choose in a career that has spawned 31 albums, 140 singles and the much coveted EGOT status (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards)? With such an impressive body of work it becomes an almost impossible task and no one will ever be entirely happy. Even so, it’s a sensible selection of Elton’s greatest hits with ten songs either side of the interval. He kicks off with a cracking version of ‘Pinball wizard’ and refreshingly plays two lesser known tracks ‘Take me to the pilot’ and ‘Love lies bleeding’. He also plunders tracks from ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ and ‘The lion king’ and rounds off with ‘Crocodile rock’.

Jimmy Love is a consummate performer who understands exactly how to work an audience. He appreciates that a tribute act is not just about pulling off a good impersonation (which he does very well). But the secret is to project every facet of that artist. We get the substance of Elton John and the next best thing to the real thing; a superior night out for any music lover.

Produced by: Entertainers

Review by: Brian Penn

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Review – 4**** Radio Gaga – Adelphi Theatre

A rousing tribute to one of rock music’s greatest showmen and a sharp reminder of how a great band should sound.

The decline of modern pop music will force many to look back to a time when vinyl was king. When the highlight of the week was the chart countdown on Sunday evenings. Queen were emblematic of this period when they released ground breaking albums and singles. They purveyed a unique brand of rock infused with elements of ballet, opera, rockabilly and funk. With the brilliant Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon in the engine room they had the inimitable Freddie Mercury as frontman. Since Freddie’s death surviving members of Queen have occasionally reunited for live shows; and there is the perennially successful ‘We Will Rock You’ to keep the songs alive. But it is the tribute industry that keeps the live vibe going on a regular basis.

The second Tuesday in November brought Radio Gaga to the Adelphi Theatre. Probably not the most obvious rock venue and curiously the amps appeared much lower than usual; no bassline thumping in the chest this time. Even so, it didn’t stop five extremely talented performers from delivering a thoroughly entertaining show. A tight four piece band played up a storm as the hits kept on coming. With Richard Ashford on guitar, Jon Caulton on Bass, Michael Richards on drums and Ben Parkinson on keyboards they were more than capable stand-ins for the real McCoy. And upfront on lead vocals we had Mark Sanders as Freddie Mercury.

Sanders affected a pretty good reading of Mercury’s mannerisms and vocal style. He even managed to hit some pretty high notes on the scale, which is remarkable considering he was nursing a bad cold. Any tall man with dark hair and a moustache will be reminiscent of a legendary sit-com character. Sanders demonstrated a refreshing lack of pretension when he introduced himself as ‘Basil Fawlty’ and saw the joke in everyone’s head – top man!

It was an excellent set packed with all the songs you’d expect to hear. There were some really interesting segues between tracks; for example ‘Now I’m here’ flows well into ‘Keep yourself alive’ and provides space for more songs. Some were particularly well received as ‘We will rock you’ and ‘Another one bites the dust’ raised the roof. But everything built to a crescendo as a storming version of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ closed the evening. Radio Gaga display excellent musicianship, and coupled with an engaging frontman rise above many tribute acts currently on the circuit.

Review by: Brian Penn

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Review – 3*** The Interview – Park Theatre 200

A spurned wife and a ruthless journalist cross swords when a marriage crumbles in the glare of public scrutiny.

One of the most enduring images of the 1990s was Princes William and Harry walking behind the coffin of their mother Diana, Princess of Wales. Two young boys crushed by duty and destined to grieve in public. It was the end game for Diana who died at the painfully young age of 36. Although more than a quarter of a century has passed it stills seems fresh in the mind. The great British public had recorded their very own ‘Kennedy moment’. The final years of Diana’s life were marked by a media circus as she coped with a failing marriage to Prince Charles. A battle quickly began to take control of the narrative. The couple had been separated for two years when Charles was interviewed by Jonathan Dimbleby in 1994. Rising BBC journalist Martin Bashir was now ready to give Diana the right to reply. This new play by Jonathan Maitland sheds light on the machinations surrounding that interview.

Act one concentrates on the build-up to the interview as Bashir (Tibu Fortes) inveigles his way into the confidence of Diana (Yolanda Kettle). Faithful butler Paul Burrell (Matthew Flynn) facilitates the liaison as Bashir devises a plan to secure the biggest TV interview of the decade. Every major broadcaster across the globe was bidding for Diana’s consent, but it was Bashir who sealed the deal with more than a hint of self-serving manipulation. Act two cleverly lands on the post interview editing process. Bashir and various execs later decamped to Eastbourne where a final cut was agreed under a cloak of secrecy.  

Pamela Raith

There are no startling revelations as everything portrayed is already in the public domain. Certain conversations are imagined as the motivation of major players in the piece are examined. Act two is really where the play comes into its own, as key exchanges from the interview are replayed and analysed. Maitland wisely avoids repeating the interview but draws more on the showstopping moments and the inevitable fallout. The impact of the interview still reverberates as Bashir’s shameless methods were rightly exposed. One can only speculate the effect it had on Diana’s already fragile state of mind. Bashir’s zeal knew no bounds and bordered on gas lighting as a state of paranoia took hold. The cast deliver sound performances in their respective roles and Yolanda Kettle perfectly nails Diana’s mannerisms. An engrossing play that proves the cult of Princess Diana is stronger than ever.

Author: Jonathan Maitland

Director: Michael Fentiman

Review by: Brian Penn

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Review – 4**** Macbeth – Shakespeare’s Globe

The Scottish play feels fresher than ever, standing loud and proud in a most perfect setting on the Thames.

There are roughly 400 productions each year of plays attributed to William Shakespeare. The universal themes of love, power and ambition are as relevant today as they were when first written. But few productions can offer an authentically Shakespearean experience. The Globe on London’s south bank is a rare exception. Strolling around this magnificent venue it’s sad that founder Sam Wanamaker didn’t live to see the venue open in 1997.

Although not on the exact spot of the original theatre, it’s an otherwise accurate representation with its galleries and yard surrounding the stage. Standing tickets can be snapped up for a tenner (even a fiver if you book early) and are great value for money. The excellent Swan public house is handily attached offering a strong traditional menu. Overlooking the Thames with a cool beer in hand it already feels like the perfect night out.

Once inside there is a strong feeling of a living museum. Only aircraft passing overhead give the slightest hint of modernity. For this production the company are dressed in modern attire and perform mainly on stage covered by a grand canopy. However, with an open setting they make full use of the space available. Strategically placed tree stumps provide a platform for characters to deliver their speeches.

The Scottish play is a testament to the corrosive effect of ambition and lust for power. For the uninitiated here’s the premise: three witches tell general Macbeth that he will be King of Scotland. Encouraged by his wife he targets the King and anyone else who gets in the way. But Macbeth’s creeping paranoia knows no bounds. Enemies are slowly gathering and the battle lines are drawn for a showdown. To elaborate further would be tantamount to a spoiler. The story constantly resonates and feels more familiar as it unfolds.

Johan Persson

An enthusiastic company go about their task with gusto as two hours and twenty minutes pass in the blink of an eye. The imagery is cool with a distinctly urban flavour. The three witches are dressed in white boiler suits, affecting the look of a scene of crime officer which seems appropriate under the circumstances. They don elephant face masks and use blenders to mix their concoctions. Other actors double up in various roles and look like roadies for a rock band.

A brilliant cast led by Max Bennett, Mattie Houghton and Aaron Anthony pull out all the stops. But they are strangely overshadowed by the grandeur of their surroundings. The audience have come to see a Shakespeare play performed at the Globe, and the company of actors are part of that experience. So in some ways it’s harder to enjoy their performance outside the ensemble environment. That minor observation aside it was a thoroughly enjoyable production, full of vigour and sparky attitude. 

Author: William Shakespeare

Director: Abigail Graham

Review by: Brian Penn

Review: 3*** An Evening of Burlesque – The Adelphi Theatre @BurlesqueShowUK

Some excellent and talented dancers who didn’t get enough time to shine or show what they could do amid a slightly disjointed array of cabaret.

An Evening of Burlesque –  the UK’s longest running burlesque show, is on an almighty tour of the country and for one night only at The Adelphi, we were promised the  ultimate variety show, blending stylish cabaret, comedy, music, circus and burlesque to light up all your senses.

There were many wonderful aspects of the evening. Ivy Paige was our MC for the evening, keeping the audience appropriately entertained, teased and interested as the next acts were lining up in the wings. She was funny and let us all know our role in the evening – cheer, holler and whoop and clothes would be taken off.

The evening featured several strip teases by some talented burlesque performers. Velvet Jones, Isabella Bliss and Bell de Beauvoir were supported by the wonderful La Sheila Showgirls in som classic routines including fan acts and a rotating cocktail glass finale. My favourites were the unusual and original reverse strip tease by the fabulous Velvet Jones and the treat of some boylesque by Sebastian Angelique. 

But that is where the originality stopped. We have all seen the cocktail glass and fans before and, for me, when attending an evening of burlesque, I am hoping for something a bit new and innovative.

The other real shame was that, while the cabaret acts of the talented tap dancing and all-round entertainer, Saucy Davies Jr, comedy magic by BGT’s Christian Lee and Matt Pangs straight jacket escape atop a unicycle, were fun, again, they were not terribly original and took up far more time than the burlesque routines. Often, as a result, despite it being a pretty long show overall, the girls’ routines felt rushed.

All in all, it was fun, but the audience did seem to start at boiling point and simmer down as the night went on. For me, it felt slightly more like an Elevenses of Burlesque than a full evening.

An Evening of Burlesque is on tour until 16th December. For more information, go to their website

Creative director: Lucinda Ryan 

Choreography: Jordan grigg:

Lighting design: Tye Connolly 

Review – 5***** Ain’t Too Proud – Prince Edward Theatre

A magical combination of classic songs and mind blowingly talented performers leaves theatre goers begging for more.

Perfection is a rare commodity but there are times when the right ingredients come together and create a flawless work of art. The Temptations were the greatest vocal group of all time. With their close harmonies they turned great songs into classics. Teamed with the legendary Tamla Motown label it was a dream ticket. This exhilarating production tells their story and how they became the soundtrack to our lives.

We begin in Detroit as teenager Otis Williams (Sifiso Mazibuko) is hustling to form a new vocal group. He is a fine baritone but looking for a bass to pin down the sound of his new group. Mel Franklin (Cameron Bernard Jones) is dubious but relaxes when his mama said he could join. They soon add second baritone Paul Williams (Kyle Cox). But they were still missing that hint of stardust. Enter Eddie Kendricks (Mitchell Zhangazha) the tenor with sweet falsetto style vocals, and David Ruffin (Tosh Wanogho-Maud) as the charismatic third baritone. With the newbies on board they had distinctive lead vocalists and the hits started to roll.  ‘My girl’ was a billboard chart topper but storm clouds were gathering on the horizon. David Ruffin had let fame and drugs go to his head. In contrast Paul Williams struggled with the lifestyle and had a drink problem. A change of line-up and producer didn’t stop them recording a string of classics.

A complex narrative is distilled to showcase the songs and omits detail that could easily work as a standalone play. But it has to be about the songs and the hits just keep on coming. Even for non-fans there will be at least one song to be loved and cherished. Whether it’s the soulful ‘Just my imagination’, socially aware ‘Cloud nine or the unashamedly funky ‘Get ready’ there will something to get the feet tapping. A brief interlude featuring the Supremes seemed superfluous and the one hit they had with the Temps (‘I’m gonna make you love me’) was only briefly reprised.

The Temptations represent a landmark in popular music and a benchmark for those who followed them. The songs are a masterful celebration of life and love. They articulate our deepest feelings – hearts being broken and slowly mending, roller-coaster love affairs and painful break ups. The drama of the human condition is captured in glorious detail and there have been no finer exponents than the Temps. The real tragedy is that the show has now completed its run. We should all be counting the days until it returns.

Music & Lyrics: Smokey Robinson, Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong and the Motown family of songwriters.

Book: Dominique Morisseau

Director: Des McAnuff

Choreographer: Sergio Trujillo

Musical Director: Matt Smith

Vocal Arrangements: Kenny Melrose

Review by: Brian Penn

Review – 4**** Death Note – London Palladium

A new musical hits these shores and benefits from an impossibly talented cast that quickly get to grips with a tale of justice and revenge.

It’s rare that a musical is based on a series of comic books. However, Death Note breaks largely new ground and comes from the Japanese manga (‘cartoon’) created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. A concept album was released in 2014 and has been staged regularly in Japan and South Korea.

The story begins with Light (Joaquin Pedro Valdes), a student in Tokyo who rages against the criminal justice system. He cannot understand how the innocent suffer and criminals go unpunished. Meanwhile the Shinigami (‘gods of death’) Ryuk and Rem are watching over the human race and mock their attempts to lead a civilised existence. Just for fun Ryuk drops a notebook called the Death Note into an unsuspecting world.

Mark Senior

Light finds the mysterious document and decides to write the name of a criminal inside. The said criminal was holding a group of children hostage but suddenly dies. Light is shocked, but soon realises he can use the notebook to exact his own brand of justice. A murder spree begins and the police are baffled. The general public rejoice at Light’s actions and dub him ‘Kira’. In desperation the police engage the services of ace detective ‘L’ (Dean John-Wilson). Meanwhile pop star Misa (Frances Mayli McCann) dedicates her latest performance to Kira. Her personal experience draws her closer to Kira as the tension slowly builds.

Death Note is unusual subject matter for a musical and makes a refreshing change from the usual ‘boy meets girl’ scenario. This enables the piece to steer clear of obvious clichés. The production is blessed with an amazing cast that radiates with talent. The three leading actors deliver their solo spots beautifully and are (death) note perfect. There are some standout songs that linger in the mind including ‘Where is the justice’ ‘Hurricane’ and ‘I’m ready’. Unsurprisingly it’s gone down well in South East Asia with its reference to ‘k-pop’ culture. However, Frank Wildhorn’s sweeping score is lost without the support of a full scale orchestra. It seems that a smaller band was secreted backstage, although fine it lacks the finesse of strings and horns.  They also appeared to be using the set from a previous production which lessens the impact still further. Nevertheless, it has great potential and gets an extra star for the cast alone.

Lyrics: Jack Murphy

Music: Frank Wildhorn

Book: Ivan Menchell

Director/Choreographer: Nick Winston

Musical Director: Chris Ma

This production transfers to the Lyric Theatre for 6 performances between 7-10 September 2023.

Review by: Brian Penn

Review – 4**** We Will Rock You – London Coliseum  

Fantastic staging pays tribute to the genius of Queen and some of the finest songs ever committed to record.

Jukebox musicals have a natural simplicity as the greatest hits of an artist are cherry picked for maximum effect. The songs of Queen have a theatrical quality about them and fit the genre especially well. The band was a heady combination of musicianship and artistic flair. Brian May, John Deacon and Roger Taylor were the engine room whilst Freddie Mercury was the uniquely charismatic lead vocalist. Ben Elton directs this new production of the show he created with Brian May and Roger Taylor in the early noughties. The wafer thin plot shrinks even more with reworked reference points to social media and information technology. But it’s the songs that matter more as they shine like a beacon through the slick visuals.

The storyline leans heavily on an Orwellian vision of the future where the people are controlled by an all-powerful entity known as the Globalsoft Corporation. They have created a joyless environment where personality and independence of thought is banned.  Kids watch the same films and listen to music made by computers. Musical instruments are forbidden and rock music is unknown, a rich history buried and forgotten by the rulers of a new super state.

Galileo (Ian McIntosh) is a member of the latest graduating class, but is experiencing dreams and hears strange words in his head.  He refuses to comply like the rest of his classmates and breaks free. But is soon arrested by Khashoggi (Lee Mead), the Globalsoft chief of police. Galileo has a kindred spirit in Scaramouche (Elena Skye) who hears and feels the same things. The Killer Queen (Brenda Edwards) rules Globalsoft and hears rumours of a prophesy. Are the instruments hidden in the secret place of living rock? Perhaps Galileo and Scaramouche hold the key? They soon join the Bohemians led by the Rebel chief (Ben Elton) who believes a bright star will lead them to real music.

Ben Elton fashions a pun laden script that crow bars in every major rock song of the 20th Century. Whilst initially funny, it does start to grate and becomes an intrusion between the brilliantly staged songs. Elton’s role as rebel leader morphs into a quasi stand-up routine which is admittedly very funny. But it also highlights his limitations as an actor. Similarly, his vocal performance on ‘these are the days of our lives’ does him little credit. However, West End stalwarts Brenda Edwards and Lee Mead are in sparkling form as the villains of the piece. Ian Mackintosh and Elena Skye both sing beautifully and receive sterling support from an excellent cast. The band lead by musical director Stuart Morley are scintillating and ably replicate the guitar licks of Brian May. Housed at the beautiful London Coliseum ‘We Will Rock You’ is the definition of a great night out. It’s a ‘must see’ for Queen fans and an ‘ought to see’ for everyone else.

Music & Lyrics: Queen

Writer/Director: Ben Elton

Musical Director: Stuart Morley

Review by: Brian Penn

Review – 5***** Dear England – National Theatre

A brilliant exposition of the toughest job in English football, and the psyche of a nation that learnt to love its national team once again.

Where the England football team are concerned people fall into three distinct groups – the committed fans, casual supporters and those who genuinely have no interest in the game. These disparate elements quickly galvanise when the national team played in major tournaments. However, the collective spirit was shattered by a succession of failures. Players with big reputations constantly failed to deliver on the biggest stage. England became a figure of derision and reached a grim nadir when they were defeated by Iceland in the 2016 Euros. Salvation was at hand when Gareth Southgate took over as manager. Intelligent, articulate and tactically astute he had already coached the England Under 21 side. But still carried the baggage of an infamous missed penalty against Germany in Euro 1996. How would that experience drive him to greater heights as manager?

The gods smiled on this production as Joseph Fiennes takes on the role of Gareth Southgate whilst the excellent Gina McKee plays sports psychologist Pippa Grange. A talented ensemble cast play various characters including Southgate’s back room staff and of course the players themselves. Writer James Graham cleverly breaks the play into three acts, with each representing a major international tournament during Southgate’s reign. Act I begins with a swift volley of cameos from former England managers featuring Sam Allardyce, Fabio Capello and Sven-Goran Eriksson. The build-up to the 2018 World Cup in Russia is studied from a range of perspectives with emphasis on the psychology of competition. The second and third acts continue in the same vein as Euro 2020 and last year’s World Cup are subjected to the same unique observations.

The nuances are very subtle and non-football fans might miss some asides that are both perceptive and extremely funny. Fiennes pulls off a remarkable portrayal of Gareth Southgate, from the polite home counties intonation to the languid posture he totally nails it. Similarly, the supporting cast do an amazing job with their respective briefs. Will Close (Harry Kane) and Josh Barrow (Jordan Pickford) are especially good and deliver scarily good impressions.

The staging is simple but effective, relying on the visual dynamics of a dressing room environment. Key events in the big games are re-enacted and convey a natural sense of drama. The trajectory of expectation, joy and ultimately disappointment is illustrated in all its ugly glory. Football hasn’t quite found its way home yet, but the trappings of victory are within reach when they were once a dot on the horizon. Gareth Southgate has taught us to love the England national team again and we should love this play for exactly the same reason.

Writer: James Graham

Director: Rupert Goold

Review by: Brian Penn

Review – 4**** When Winston Went to War with the Wireless – Donmar Warehouse

A remarkable period in British social history is vividly captured by a sharp and evocative production.

Almost a hundred years have passed since the General Strike of 1926. There are few if any living memories of nine historic days in May. It might be confined to the history books and flickering sepia images. Yet in 2023 we are confronted by events with an eerie similarity, multiple strikes by doctors, nurses, teachers and railway workers, the government clashing with the BBC as a debate rages about press freedom. The parallels are uncanny and evidence that history does indeed repeat itself, at least after a fashion. This new play by Jack Thorne delves into machinations bubbling under the surface of Britain’s most industrial dispute.

The strike began in support of mine workers who were confronted with reduced pay and longer working hours. It was sympathy action on a wide scale that paralysed the railways, transport, docks, steel production and crucially the print industry. Without newspapers in circulation the fledgling BBC had an opportunity to fill the void. John Reith (Stephen Campbell Moore), managing director at the Beeb was previously restricted by the terms of its licence. They could only broadcast news at 7pm thus ensuring no damage was done to morning newspaper sales.

But Reith was now able to broadcast news bulletins throughout the day and take control of public information. This puts him on a collision course with the Government led by PM Stanley Baldwin (Haydn Gwynne). Chancellor of the Exchequer Winston Churchill (Adrian Scarborough) is in bullish mood and aims to smash the influence of communism in the labour movement. He establishes the British Gazette in competition. Reith is desperate to preserve the Beeb’s independence with its Royal Charter pending. The battle lines are duly drawn as they fought for the hearts and minds of the people.

The dark and intimate confines of the Donmar provide an ideal canvas for a narrative that clearly documents the event. The backdrop is comprised of small platforms that act as a spotlight for individual characters. It also creates space for the cast to produce sound effects just as they would have done for early radio shows on the Beeb. A single cello and muted trumpet add a sparse and haunting musical accompaniment.

The play draws on the finest Reithian principles of public service broadcasting – to entertain, educate and inform. It delivers all three in spades with a useful reminder of Winston Churchill’s chequered political career. Winnie’s achievements as wartime PM often squeeze out his domestic failures – his stint as Chancellor proved how hopelessly lost he was on the home front. There is however an annoying fixation on Reith’s sexuality. It has no bearing on the story and disrupts the overriding theme of the piece as an historical document. But it remains superior entertainment and a fine night out.

Writer: Jack Thorne

Director: Katy Rudd

Review by: Brian Penn