AN EVENING WITHOUT KATE BUSH
Underbelly Boulevard
★★★★
“It is theatre, cabaret, comedy, music, parody, oratory and pure vocal virtuosity rolled into one”
The title of the show speaks for itself, but just to make sure Sarah-Louise Young announces – from the semi-darkness of the stage – that “Kate’s not there”. This follows with a reassuring “…but you are” as though that is all that matters. First, she wants to determine who ‘we’ are. Young assumes we either a dyed in the wool Kate Bush fan, or one of those poor souls dragged along by said fan. She’s partly right. The point she misses though, in her endearingly modest and self-deprecating way, is that most of the audience comprises fans of Young herself. The show has been doing the rounds for a while now – with sell-out London, Edinburgh and Australia runs under its belt (or red wig in Young’s case).
It doesn’t take long to discover why. Made by Sarah-Louise-Young and co-writer/director Russell Lucas (notice the word ‘made’, rather than written), it is not a tribute act. There are too many ingredients in the making. It is theatre, cabaret, comedy, music, parody, oratory and pure vocal virtuosity rolled into one. Like a delicious muffin baked in Kate Bush’s very own Aga (that simile will only make sense if – or rather when – you go and see the show). Young is adept at dropping inconsequential yet hilarious details that become relevant later in the evening.
Having travelled the world with her show, Young has picked up additional material. What was once an hour long, one-act set is now a two-act show. There is a slight suspicion that she has overstretched herself – a fair bit of the extra time slot is filled with extended audience banter – but there is no doubt her act has stepped up to conquer the West End, whilst winning us over completely. She assuages our fear of the dreaded ‘audience participation’ phrase by making us feel at ease with her wanderings into the auditorium, while her anecdotes meander in equally unexpected directions. Couples are brought onto the stage to provide backing vocals, or to slow waltz while she sings. Young gives the impression she can sing and talk simultaneously. She can also be weird and poignant simultaneously. Her banter is often banal, but always fascinating. And funny. She could get by without singing a note and we would still be captivated.
But when she does break into song, our reaction is epitomised by her rendition of Kate Bush’s “Wow”. Young doesn’t mimic, but she captures the quality and matches the character of the original. The set list is carefully chosen and strung together as a revue – each number a sketch within its own context. “This Woman’s Work” is performed by a cleaner, backstage at the Hammersmith Apollo. “Hammer Horror” is sung by a fan who has broken into Bush’s house and is furtively raiding the kitchen and dishing up supper. Young is dressed as a snowflake for “King of the Mountain”, veiled in black for the gorgeous, piano-led “And Dream of Sheep”; but much of the time she is in a red leotard to accommodate her impossibly swift costume changes. “Babooshka” is sung in Russian, correcting the pronunciation of the title. Young replaces Peter Gabriel’s vocal part of “Don’t Give Up” with her own verses of semi-spoken reminiscences and anecdotes. Other favourites include “Hounds of Love” and the vocally perfect “Army Dreamers”.
And, of course, the one we have all been waiting for: “Wuthering Heights”. For this finale she teasingly turns the microphone towards the audience. On cue, the floor erupts into a chorus of ‘it’s me’ and ‘Cathy’ and pleas to be ‘let in-a-your window’. But the real magic is when Young grabs the spotlight back to reclaim the song. There is comedy in her movement but beauty in her voice. Which sums up the performance.
Has Kate Bush ever been tempted, I wonder, to go and see Young’s show, sneaking into the auditorium to see what it is all about? If you’re reading this, Kate, you really should – you will love it. Something tells me she won’t be reading these words – but whoever is – I’d say the same to you. You really should go and see this show. You don’t need to be a ‘Fan of the Bush’ (Young’s words – not mine) but you will, without doubt, end up being a fan of Sarah-Louise Young.
AN EVENING WITHOUT KATE BUSH
Underbelly Boulevard
Reviewed on 14th April 2026
by Jonathan Evans
Photography by Ed Fielding
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