Review: WE WILL ROCK YOU, Kings Theatre Portsmouth - UK tour
Photo credit: Johan Persson
Besties, if you were to receive £1 for every time the phrase “I don’t know” is used in this show, you would be incredibly well off.
We Will Rock You is an entertaining and feel-good show with a lot of pop culture jokes and references for a variety of audience members to understand. Using some of the most iconic songs from the Queen back catalogue, it is impossible not to nod your head and tap your feet as each song comes on.
The cast of this 20th anniversary production are flawless to say the least. Tacking the intense and influential sound of Queen, and of Freddie Mercury himself, takes a lot of guts and confidence and each song is in the safe hands of these cast members. Ian McIntosh plays the charismatic and free-spirited Galileo and really is a talented man. His voice is perfect for songs such as ‘Who Wants to Live Forever’ and ‘We Will Rock You’, performing these anthems with impressive control and power. His characterisation is outstandingly innocent yet rebellious, which makes perfect sense to the story. Elena Skye plays the headstrong and brazen Scaramouche and has a beautifully controlled voice. She also has a natural vibrato which is a pure delight to hear sprinkled into some of the songs. Her rendition of ‘Somebody to Love’ is fresh and a new twist on the song, which brings it to life for the musical stage. The entire cast is incredibly talented and brings endless amounts of joy and energy to each scene and musical number which is always a fantastic thing to witness as an audience member.
Jennifer O’Leary (playing Killer Queen) is the true highlight of this show, however, with her sassy and powerful voice that genuinely gives audience members chills. Her vocals complement the melodies and lyrics of Queen perfectly and gives us something to look forward to. As soon as one song ends, we are on the edge of our seats hoping for more. Her most impressive and memorable performance, vocally, is ‘The Show Must Go On’. As a highly theatrical and dramatic song (as well as being one of my personal favourites from Queen), it can sometimes be overdone and extensively dramatised but this is not the case here. It is a clean cut and focused vocal performance.
If you are looking for an entertaining night out with your friends and family, this musical is just the thing you are looking for. However, the show is not without its faults.
If you have come to the theatre looking for an intriguing and well-written story, this musical might not be the best option for you. As a concept, this story has lot of potential. In a world where rock has died and in its place is pop music and the oppressive nature of social media on the creative minds, it is ironic and entertaining, especially when you consider the past two years we have all experienced.
However, at times throughout the show, it feels as though the plot has to suffer in order to feature a hit single. There are moments when the songs do not really push the plot forward, meaning that they fall a little flat and leaving us confused. Additionally, the romance between Galileo and Scaramouche just sort of happens, without any sort of natural character development. The ending is also a little bit anti-climactic. After two hours of building up to this moment of finding the last musical instrument on iPlanet, they perform at the destroyed grounds of Wembley and then…the performers take their bows. The defeat of Killer Queen is rushed, despite the importance of it within the narrative. There are some very clever moments when the songs evoke a certain feeling or experience rather than a plot point (for example, the Flash sequence) but again, this does not really push the plot – it becomes a comical and clever use of music.
The catalogue of Queen music is highly extensive, with so many amazing and influential songs and it is impressive that a musical can be created with a somewhat recognisable and interesting plot concept. But because of the ‘need’ to use their most iconic songs, the story does get lost.
But the musical does have a certain charm which is what makes it so popular. The musical features a certain level of fluidity when it comes to the pop culture references used. From references about video tapes (pronounced vid-ay-o tap – I was in stitches over this) and more analogue references, to contemporary conversations about the pandemic and Free Britney, We Will Rock You is full of little innuendos and references targeted to a variety of audience generations.
There is a lot of love for the music as well, which is made clear to us when Brian May walks on the stage during the guitar break of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and the crowd goes wild. This is the reason that the show is as loved and as popular as it is. It appeals to so many people, not just because of the use of the music of Queen, but because of the importance it gives to rock music and the community feeling that comes with it.
*** Three stars
Reviewed by: Megan Webb
We Will Rock You plays at the Kings Theatre Portsmouth until 12 February, before continuing its UK tour. Tickets for select touring venues can be purchased here.