We Will Rock You

We Will Rock You is a musical based on the classic songs of the rock band Queen. This version of the show had been adapted for a youth cast.
Set in a Dystopian future where live music has died and instruments are banned. The two lead characters of Galileo Figaro and Scaramouche go on a quest, alongside a group of rebels called The Bohemians, where they overthrow The Globalsoft Corporation run by The Killer Queen and help establish a new world where rock music can thrive again.  

Director Ben Cole took this show and managed to power through some potentially sticky moments. Defined as a Jukebox musical with a generous helping of contrived moments, this could have easily been another throw away story if not done well, but the cast and crew won over the audience in the end with a buzz which had the audience smiling, nodding and tapping to their favourite Queen songs and smiling at some memorable unique performances.

Simply put, this show got better as the cast started to feel comfortable within their roles and technical surroundings. It is also such a great achievement, given the rehearsal time of eight weeks with some last-minute changes which were unforeseen. All of the cast and crew should be very proud of producing this ambitious show in this time scale.

The stage was alive with light, visuals and sound which were such an important part of the show and there were some nice multimedia moments which blended in well with some nice lighting contrasts. Generally speaking, the lighting was very good and well thought out, although one or two of the cast needed to be aware of where the spot lights were on stage. This was easily overlooked!

The show had some lovely moments with talented voices and some comfortable dance routines with very nice choreography by Claire Flavell. It has to be said that each and every member of the ensemble all played their parts with a unique stance, delivering with style. There was also some surprising and inventive use of the stage and the trapdoors and a few attempts of engaging audience participation.

Considering the scale of this show, Musical Director Edward Caine delivered. However, there were some unfortunate distractions tonight with the significant issue being the sound which at times overwhelmed the vocals of the cast; but also combined with feedback, distortion and microphones failing at times it was a shame that some moments were lost. My only hope was that these issues were addressed and sorted out for the reminder of the run. I was reassured that they were.
The cast were absolutely amazing throughout these uncertain moments and worked through some difficult times together, they remained professional throughout and impressed me very much. In contrast to a few other minor niggles this professionalism remained a prominent part of the evening and it suggested WBOS youtheatre are hard-working who take musical theatre seriously.

Jack Hobson played the protagonist character of Galileo Figaro, the dreamer, who hears strange words in his head. At times Jack appeared tentative, this could have been due to first night nerves, however there were also times where he portrayed a quiet presence which actually helped the depth of his character a little. The interaction with Katie Withers who played Scaramouche had some lovely moments and this visibly helped Jack relax more. Jack had some great opportunities to shine and seemed to enjoy the title role very much. Katie Withers who played Scaramouche was strong with her presence and voice, she held great stage presence throughout the show. Katie had some natural comedy timing and wonderful sarcasm. Both of their performance in the song “Under Pressure” was very enjoyable.

When Brit (Harley Pearson) and Oz (Madison Jeffs) stormed the stage, the show went up a notch. I wanted more and I got it! These two were very well cast, they had plenty of energy, worked lovely together and created some wonderful, memorable moments. Madison and Harley were a joy to watch. Every time these two were on stage together it worked very well. Harley never stopped smiling and they both had very strong voices.

Commander Khashoggi (Tom Rantell) who played The Henchman of The Killer Queen portrayed the character with a nice slice of detachment but there were also nice moments when Tom showed a side to his character that hinted his vulnerability so you almost felt sorry for him when he bit the dust!

Jake Dale who played Buddy was a confident performer who delivered some funny lines and was a nice addition to the principal cast. Also, a special mention here to Summer Treacy who also played a confident role of a Globalsoft Manager and had a marvellous voice.

The star of the show was easily The Killer Queen (Holly Page), who looked fantastic, her costume was amazing and her voice was brilliant. Every time she performed it kept the show exciting, fresh and adventurous.

The finale of the show and the song “Bohemian Rhapsody” was almost a nice surprise, I forgot for a moment that this song had to part of the repertoire. The show ended on a high with a lot of enthusiasm and smiles. 

WBOS Youtheatre have some very talented members and I really appreciated the invitation and opportunity to come and see them for the first time. Congratulations to everyone involved. I am really looking forward to the next show which I believe is a Concert Showcase in May 2022.

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