We Will Rock You

As far as jukebox musicals go We Will Rock You hits the jackpot time and time again. The fans were in Queen heaven as hit after hit of their amazing catalogue was squeezed into the narration and the enthusiasm didn’t end until the last chord of the encore “Bohemian Rhapsody” had resonated around the theatre.

This latest incarnation of the “rock theatrical” as it’s labelled by its creators, has been cleverly updated by writer Ben Elton to include references to social media which were not around when the show originally opened. We’re still in a dystopian society where music is banned and everyone and everything is programmed, and there are still a bunch of Bohemians who want to change it all, but Elton’s script was much leaner and filled with pop-culture jokes. Although the characterisation never rose above a comic-book hero level it was still massively entertaining.

A cast of young seasoned pros belted out the Queen classics like rock professionals against a background of high-tech video images and a laser light show. The set for the Killer Queen and her entourage was appropriately futuristic while the decayed Hard Rock Café felt like it belonged in a Mad Max movie. Chorus costumes reflected an asexual look which worked well for their robotic routines.

Gareth Keegan and Erin Clare’s vocals as the off-beat lovers Galileo and Scaramouche were off the charts as they nailed anthem after anthem. Big-voiced Casey Donovan killed the Killer Queen role, while genuine 80’s rock veteran Brian Mannix was a force as Buddy. Britney and Oz were in good hands with Thern Reynolds and Jaz Flowers, who added fire and grit to the Bohemians’ dream of a rock utopia. Simon Russell played Khashoggi like a pantomime demon.

Willie Williams deserved a Golden Guitar for his brilliant lighting plot, while Elton deserved a gold star for giving the musicians a walk-down at the finale considering they were at least fifty-per-cent of the show’s success.

Since it opened in 2002 We Will Rock You has become something of a global phenomenon. This new version ensures the franchise has a lot more life in it yet.

Peter Pinne       

Photographer: Jeff Busby