I worked out it’s been 17 years since I first saw We Will Rock You at The Dominion Theatre in London. Back then, only 14, I was lucky enough to be one of the first to see it. I remember coming home from my school drama trip dreaming of being a musical superstar. I wanted to be the next Scaramouche!
Alas my dream did not transpire, which explains why, now 17 years later I’ve just returned home from the theatre having had the opportunity to relive that feeling. The show had a lot of nostaligia to live up to, but I came out feeling like I was 14 years old all over again – but this time with my Mum to share that feeling with.
Since 2002, more than 16 million in more than 19 countries have had the opportunity to see this production, (some of us more than once) and with 24 of Queen’s biggest hits delivered throughout this show, that’s more than enough of a reason why.
However multi-award winning novelist and playwright Ben Elton and Queen themselves, go a step further and piece together a witty, intelligent and very current storyline, using the hits we all know and love, to bring spectacle and thrill throughout.
The plot has changed slightly since I first saw the show, it’s been made topical and current for a present day audience of millenials with many of the same themes running throughout. Set in a future where live music has been almost entirely obliterated and replaced by internet governed life and dominating corporation Globosoft in a world no longer called Earth, where everyone thinks, dresses and acts the same. With references to X Factor, Twitter, Snapchat and Facebook throughout – it’s frightening just how close to home the plot could be…well minus the dystopian type landscapes, outfits and advances in technology, that is.
Musical instruments no longer exist and songwriting and musical composition are forbidden by the corporation, which means, yes, Rock music is unknown.
Unknown by all except a group of rebel “Bohemians” who are fighting against the corporation to restore freedom of expression, thought, fashion and…live music. The characters names all represent popular music culture with the main protagonists, Galileo Figaro (played by Olivier Award nominee Ian McIntosh) and Scaramouche’s (played by the spine-tingling Elena Skye) names adequately representing an aspect of Queen’s most famous song, Bohemian Rhapsody. While antagonist Killer Queen ( Jenny O’Leary) draws inspiration from another of Queen’s hits.
Never before has a stage held such vocal strength in my opinion. Queen songs are not easy to sing. And that aside, when hearing a version of a Queen song being sung without a feeling or need to imitate is rare. All seven of the musical’s lead performers stun the audience with spectacular show stopping performances, one after the other.
It’s hard not to mention each of them. Nerdy and over-confident youth Galileo leads the plot with excerpts of lost lyrics which appear in his mind, through this alone he leads the Bohemians once he escapes Globosoft with emo sidekick Scaramouche in search of the last instrument on the planet. The pair have such incredible chemistry and such incredible voices which had a habit of triggering nearly every emotion I thought possible and blowing me away during I want to break free, Under Pressure and Who wants to live forever.
Killer Queen and Khashoggi (played by Adam Strong) equally bounce off one another and steal the show with numbers like Don’t stop me now and Another one bites the dust.
Of notable mention is Buddy (10cc’s Michael McKell) who had me in tears during one of my favourite Queen numbers These are the days of our lives. While Oz and Brit (played by Amy Di Bartolemeo and David Michael Johnson) bring raw passion to the stage with Crazy Little Thing Called Love and Headlong.
The set is one of the most advanced I’ve seen in a musical. At times it was reminiscent of Star Wars, representing a constantly changing backdrop of a future world. But, as with all tech it can fail, and that was the only thing that let the cast down on opening night, with a stagehand visible on nearly every scene. They responded with professionalism though, and the show, as they say, must go on.
The choreography, originally by Arlene Phillips, in this tour was led by Lajos Túri Péter. I’d like to have seen a bit more creativity leading the scenes surrounding the Killer Queen as at times they were a bit obvious and use of the stage by all actors was a little lacking when compared to the original, but in isolation, you’d never have known.
The best of Queen is laced throughout this magnificent musical which for me sits up there with Les Mis, Cats and Cabaret.
I was so sad when the last number came to a close, even if the audience were treated to an encore of Bohemian Rhapsody, mainly because I’m not sure a performance will ever live up to this one.
When this cast sing We Are the Champions they really do mean it!
Review by Nadya Jaworksyi
