We Will Rock You

We Will Rock You, a jukebox musical featuring Queen’s songs, is now available for amateur productions. Unsurprisingly, theatre groups across the UK have chosen this show as a favourite this year.

It was evident from the beginning that all performers on stage approached the demanding vocals with enthusiasm. They were all clearly loving every minute. We were relocated from the year 2026 to a time in ‘the future’, entering an environment distinctly different from our own, yet one that could conceivably become a future reality. Immediate news alerts appeared, providing updates on imposed curfews. Music, as previously experienced, has been either prohibited or subjected to regulation by Globalsoft, with reports indicating that no musical instruments have remained intact, a consequence partially attributed to the influence of the X Factor.

When discussing the plot of We Will Rock You, it’s common to wonder if there is one at all. Although the storyline is relatively minimal, the production successfully compensates with Queen's music. Given that this is a youth production, many of the iconic musical numbers may not have been familiar to the majority of the younger cast members.  

Nico Eynon-Colon delivered a confident portrayal of Galileo, effectively embodying a convincing and rebellious character. His performance complemented Scaramouche, and he skillfully integrated familiar song lyrics into his dialogue, including “I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want.”

Scaramouche, played by Scar Moore, was absolutely outstanding giving a powerful and commanding performance with great timing on her one liners such as the realisation that her name sounded like ‘Scary Bush’. “Somebody to Love”, sung along with the Teen Queens, was fantastic. Gracie Evenden was strong as the Killer Queen. Khashoggi, played by James Henderson, was suitably intimidating and sinister throughout.

Brit and Oz, played by Joe Burley and Deanna Mullen respectively, were also well cast and were amazing together. Both had energy and wonderful vocals. There were also good performances from Billy Morris-Steele as Buddy with the mysterious video tape and Ebony Jones as the Teacher. Many ensemble members played smaller, easily recognisable roles. Notable mentions include Madonna (Ollie Quigley), Tina Turner (Evie Franklin), and Boy George (Hermione Milsom), among others. The Teen Queens, GaGa Kids, Super Yuppies, and Bohemians brought energy and pace to the production.

Costumes and wigs for the entire cast were entirely in keeping with the futuristic setting and were consistent throughout the production. The choreography was effective and well-rehearsed.

The audience were completely immersed in the music, reacting with enthusiasm whenever prompted, a hallmark of jukebox musicals. Both the lead performers and the ensemble numbers, including “Radio GaGa”, “I Want to Break Free”, and “Flash”, entertained the crowd. The show truly rocked us, and unsurprisingly, everyone adored the grand finale featuring “Bohemian Rhapsody”.

Andy Brown, Regional Councillor NODA West Midlands

Comment from Joyce Eyre -

This evening marked my debut attending the lively and somewhat eccentric performance of “We Will Rock You”. It was a really enjoyable, entertaining evening. As always with any Youth Onstage production, strong teamwork was abundantly evident throughout. When the video tape failed to play, the cast handled it seamlessly, especially given that such mishaps often seem to occur during NODA visits. I bet it worked on every other occasion. Every member of the principal line-up delivered exactly what one could have wished for. Their characters were well developed and the performances totally convincing. My thoughts as to my favourite musical numbers echoing those mentioned by Andy.

Joyce Eyre, Regional Represenative

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