We Will Rock You

"We Will Rock You” performed by The Drama Dept. I still don`t really know what exactly to say, except it was truly West End worthy !

There were no weak links at all. I`m not entirely sure if I went to a rock concert or a musical? Or perhaps a light show? Because every single bit of it was superb in it`s own right. The behind the scenes team which consisted of Michael McCaw as Director, Tracy and Jessica Harper as Choreographers (of equal standing) Paul Lawton and John Barry as Musical Directors (of equal standing)  must have been rubbing their hands with glee when they had their cast in front of them, such a wealth of experienced talent. You could have forgiven them for resting up and taking it easy and simply letting the fantastic music take centre stage, but instead they rolled up their sleeves and decided to make this musical their own, starting with futuristic costumes designed in house by very talented Dawn Leigh. Everything had a very finished look to it, even down to a specific bangle on someone`s arm, the use of different colours and fabric textures to portray the different characters was inspired right down to specific footwear.

Paul Lawton and John Barry have shared the Musical Director`s cap, the harmonies were so tight and slick, the band sounded fantastic, the actual vocals sounded phenomenal which is quite difficult because singing a rock song as a rock song is very different to singing a rock song as a musical theatre song – very often there isn`t time left for ending words or notes, but with the obvious drilling done by Paul and John, everything was there including some clear diction. The lighting plot by Chris Osborn deserves a standing ovation all of its own – I could try to describe it to you, but I am afraid I don`t know the names of all the lights and effects used and as such would make a complete fool of myself, but please believe me when I say it was intense. It was bright, it was colourful, it was edgy, it was new, it was big, it was undeniably Wow! Sound by Tube Uk Ltd was great, no gremlins or drops. The band were loud but it was all part of the experience, you could clearly hear the cast in both dialogue and vocals. Tracy and Jessica Harper brought a real fresh and new feeling to the choreography. By matching different styles to different characters and in general the way they moved they created something never seen before. It was a large cast to get moving in an arm synchronicity installation  - but they did it  and it looked breathtaking especially with the red gloves.

Deni Griffiths as Britney and Caitlin Sturgeon as Oz are a couple in real life so their chemistry was very evident on stage but such intimacy offstage can also bring an element of apprehension to a performance, this was in no way evident from these two. From the moment they burst onto the stage they were firmly in their individual characters and were strong and vibrant. Their vocals were solid, they had attack and heart. Ian Chatterton as Buddy was another very solid character, he used his stage space well and was aware of his sight lines. Gary Jones as Khashoggi gave a detailed performance, he had some very strong scenes with Dawn Leigh (Killer Queen) and he more than held his own. Dawn Leigh as Killer Queen completely owned the stage from the moment she set foot on it, her vocals were so strong. A standout moment for me was the performance of “ A Kind of Magic” – it was a visual and audible delight. Mike Miller as Galileo and Kayleigh Ann Strong made a formidable duo, together they brought a gentle naivety to their performance, their blossoming romance was beautiful to watch unfold. Their vocals were phenomenal, they brought some big notes in to land and still managed to show light and shade.

Thank you for inviting me. Myself and my guest enjoyed your performance and may I reiterate, I truly believe it was West End worthy and I look forward to seeing you all again soon.

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