We Will Rock You

After last years award winning production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert we knew we were in for a treat and we were not disappointed. This futuristic Rock Musical featured over twenty of the hit numbers from Queen. The music and lyrics were by Queen with the story and script written by Ben Elton. It originally opened in the West End in 2002 and has been touring ever since.

Set 300 years into a post-apocalyptic future, the story imagines a world where musical instruments are banned and rock music is unknown. Young people are tightly controlled by the Globalsoft Corporation and forced to listen to the same computer-generated music.

Into this world comes Galileo, who is troubled by strange dreams in which long-forgotten song lyrics enter his mind. Although he struggles to understand them, he refuses to conform like those around him and sets out to uncover the truth. Speaking the words aloud becomes his cue for song. Charlie Warner brings Galileo to life with a strong, powerful voice, while Chloe Brown gives Scaramouche a similarly spirited presence. Together, they were both outstanding. They are joined by two other like-minded characters determined to keep rock ’n’ roll alive and who also give polished performances, they are Meat, played by Sophia Wilson, and Brit, played by Abbie McQuitty.

Other strong performances came from Ryan Fenton as Pop and Katy Pointer as the Teacher. Graine Ivell made an impressive Killer Queen, ruler of the Corporation, while Connor Read brought authority to the role of Khashoggi, the ruthless commander of the police.

The large and talented ensemble of twenty-six performers, supported by seven backing singers, delivered consistently high-quality work and strong harmonies under the musical direction of Mike Wren. His superb seven-piece band really rocked, and they clearly relished the chance to perform so many iconic songs.

Luke’s choreography was outstanding once again, bringing variety, energy, and style to the production. The range of dance genres complemented the many musical numbers and helped keep the show visually engaging throughout.

Bridget Jackaman had a wide range of costumes to coordinate for the Bohemians, while Rachel and Owen sourced all the other various outfits. They all looked amazing including the dancers’ striking black one-piece costumes.  These were complemented by a set that captured the feel of a major rock concert, with banks of floodlights sweeping across the stage and audience. The band was on a high raised platform whilst underneath was a huge staircase. At both sides of the stage were screens showing live video performances from the action onstage along with iconic old photos of people and events from the past which had been collated by Owen.  Props such as an abandoned van and a Harley-Davidson motorbike added to the sense of relics from the past.

All their hard work had paid off culminating in another amazing show and a fabulous finale much to the delight of us and all your sell-out audience who showed their appreciation with standing ovations. Very well done to Rachel, Owen, Luke, Mike, your cast and all involved in bringing this together. Good to see you all again and for your warm welcome.

 

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