★★★★

“The music and dance are the highlights, stylishly adding extra layers of the story onto the dialogue”

Lerner and Loewe’s “Brigadoon” hasn’t been performed in London for over thirty-five years, and the word, from some quarters, seems to be that there must be a reason for this. In short, though, Drew McOnie’s magical interpretation at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is a strong counterargument as to why it is definitely high time for a revival. Adapted and (kind of) updated by Rona Munro it almost makes sense of its impossibly whimsical narrative but, and goes along with it, creating an enchanting mix of music, dance and drama. We are swept up into the fantasy of it all, which in itself is quite a feat. It is the sort of plot that, if closely analysed, the holes picked in it would cause it to collapse completely.

The echoing sound of a big drum kicks off the evening, followed by haunting bagpipes. Basia Bińkowska’s multi-levelled, lush and heather-wrapped set merges into the park’s natural background. Two American fighter pilots appear over the brow of the hill. The romantically inclined Tommy (Louis Gaunt) is wounded while the more down-to-earth Jeff (Cavan Clarke) is rather unsuccessfully trying to get their bearings. They have literally dropped out of the sky and according to their map they appear to be nowhere. From this ‘nowhere’, however, the village of Brigadoon appears out of… well… nowhere. We have no alternate but to suspend our disbelief – the effect is quite intoxicating as we are surrounded by the glorious harmonies of the villagers. McOnie’s choreography is beautifully balletic, yet it somehow belongs to the world of Scottish reels and bagpipes too.

Brigadoon only exists for one day every one hundred years, thanks to a divine spell cast by the local minister two hundred years previously to protect it from the outside world. The townsfolk are forbidden to leave, otherwise the village would disappear forever. An outsider can only stay if they fall in love with a local, so strongly enough that they are prepared to give up everything for their love; ‘…after all, laddie, if ye love someone deeply, anythin’ is possible!’. The pilots spend pretty much all of act one unaware of this phenomenon, but when they discover it, have quite different reactions. This is very much a fairy tale, but also a love story burning away at its heart, with enough shades of darkness to prevent it from being too honey dewed.

The music and dance are the highlights, stylishly adding extra layers of the story onto the dialogue. Occasionally the movement is extraneous but always spectacular, held together by musical director Laura Bangay’s twelve-piece orchestra that mixes the traditional with the contemporary. The ensemble is just as vital as the lead players who generously never pull focus from the energy that floods the stage. Gaunt’s performance is quite believable (even if his story isn’t) in his depiction of an unwavering belief in love, that is also prone to moments of self-doubt, while Clarke’s pragmatic Jeff challenges but also accommodates his co-pilots idiosyncrasies, culminating in a deeply moving finale. The excellent Georgina Onuorah gives intensity and grace to Tommy’s love interest Fiona, while Nic Myers’ flirty Meg teases with, and confuses, Jeff with uncertain sex appeal. Jasmine Jules Andrews and Gilli Jones, as the newlyweds Jean and Charlie, are an enchanting couple. Danny Nattrass, as the tragic, lovesick Harry, matches an agile personality with a true talent for dance. Like the entire cast, the movement clearly defines the emotions and intentions of the characters.

All set against Jessica Hung Han Yun’s mystically atmospheric lighting, the evening is a delight throughout. The sumptuous score is at once familiar, yet fresh, with favourites such as ‘Almost Like Being in Love’, ‘The Love of My Life’ and ‘There but for You Go I’ sealing the message. It is a glorious tribute to the power of love. Like the unwitting co-pilots who wander into Brigadoon, we cannot fail to be moved and entertained by this production. It is unashamed escapism, but once we’re hooked, we don’t want to escape it.

JUST FOR ONE DAY

Shaftesbury Theatre

★★★★

“the sheer joy and exhilaration that this musical creates is off the scale”

How many Rock Anthems can you fit under a proscenium arch? It could be the opening line of a bad dad joke, but it is a genuine question. The walls of the Shaftesbury Theatre must have been reinforced to contain the high-decibel multitude of eighties hits that are crammed into “Just for One Day: The Live Aid Musical”. Act One is jukebox musical, Act Two morphs into unadulterated rock gig celebrating the day, in 1985, when music reportedly changed the world. Somewhere in between, John O’Farrell’s book has slipped in some dialogue (often witty, sometimes clunky), more than a few overt messages and platitudes-a-plenty. The historical context is accurate, but we suspect some liberties have been taken, and the characterisation is unsubtle, to say the least. Yet the sheer joy and exhilaration that this musical creates is off the scale.

Transferring from the Old Vic last year in time for the fortieth anniversary of Live Aid, it goes a long way to refresh the intention of that memorable summer’s day – that music can ‘unite the world’. A touch grand maybe, but there is something for every generation. According to the producers and writers of the show, the world is split into two camps: those who were there and those who weren’t. A flippant critique perhaps, but there is a political weight beneath the levity. Even for those who were only born a decade or two after the event there is a sense of nostalgia that the ‘old-timers’ are more than happy to share and to bequeath. It’s all about legacy, and everyone involved (including Sir Bob Geldof) are determined that the message filters through to the next generations.

The show opens with a wall of sound as David Bowie’s ‘Heroes’ cascades from the stage. ‘I will be King’, the ensemble prophetically belts out in glorious, breath-taking harmony. Each cast member is, indeed, the king (or queen) of the stage. Gareth Owen’s sound design is faultless, combining an arena’s volume with a theatre’s intimacy and clarity. Musical Director Patrick Hurley’s six-piece band is the beating heart while the performers are the unrestrained soul. Luke Sheppard’s efficient and dynamic direction keeps the narrative pumping without missing a beat. What is striking is his choice to steer completely away from replicating or impersonating the original artists. Matthew Brind’s musical arrangements brilliantly retain the ostentation and bombast of the eighties while unashamedly moulding the songs into a contemporary, musical theatre setting.

After a few cursory introductions to a few of the lead characters we are given a potted history of the events. Bob Geldof (Craige Els), on a come down from the success of the Boomtown Rats’ number one hit, ‘Rat Trap’ (in reality, close to a decade separate the two events) is having a writer’s block moment, gazing at his television set. On comes the footage from Ethiopia. He swiftly accosts Midge Ure (Georger Ure – no relation!) in order to help him get the Band Aid charity single out in time for Christmas. A parallel scenario takes place Stateside with ‘Feed the World’. It’s not enough, though, so the ‘Live Aid’ is conceived and the impossible task of organising the event across two continents in record time is chronicled in… well – record time.

We are told the story from differing perspectives. Primarily Suzanne (Melissa Jacques) in the present, and her younger self (Hope Kenna); a record store salesperson who skips her exams and university prospects to get to Wembley for the concert. Suzanne’s daughter, Jemma (Fayth Ifil) is fed the backstory while reacting with modern sensibilities to the dubiously challenged motivations and politics of the eighties. As we bounce between the present and the past, fictitious and real-life personalities mingle and clash. Tim Mahendran’s Harvey Goldsmith is a wonderfully conceived caricature of the pragmatic promoter, but Julie Atherton’s Margaret Thatcher is the comedic show-stoppper.

The humour sits well with the seriousness of the cause, although the latter tends to rupture the narrative flow with preachiness. A visit to Ethiopia where Geldof meets aid worker Amara (Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky) feels forced and is capsized by clumsy comparisons to the Irish potato famine. But we only have a couple of hours – most of which is taken up by the incredible soundtrack – so it is hard to establish the worthiness without a concise, albeit fairly simplistic, approach.

But ultimately, we cannot fail to be moved. By the events, the memories, the music and the performances. McCaulsky’s rendition of Bob Dylan’s ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’, all drones and echoing vocals, is stunning. Freddie Love’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is another highlight, along with Ifil’s ‘My Generation’. But each musical moment is a highlight. The second half of the show is pure spectacle. A real rockfest. A pure joyous gig. We are swept up, caught up and unable to resist going with the flow, so much so that we can sidestep the heavy-handed messages.

Early on in the evening, Ure gives us a solo, note perfect rendition of Ulravox’s ‘Dancing with Tears in our Eyes’. When the entire company belt out the finale – ‘Let it Be’ – we are by now dancing with tears in our eyes too. Whatever camp you fall into – whether you were there at Live Aid, or whether you weren’t; you should definitely make sure you are there now. Nostalgia has never been so good.

BRIGADOON

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

★★★★

“The music and dance are the highlights, stylishly adding extra layers of the story onto the dialogue”

BRIGADOON

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Reviewed on 12th August 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Mark Senior

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

BRIGADOON

BRIGADOON

BRIGADOON</h3

JUST FOR ONE DAY

Shaftesbury Theatre

★★★★

“the sheer joy and exhilaration that this musical creates is off the scale”

JUST FOR ONE DAY

Shaftesbury Theatre

Reviewed on 11th June 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Evan Zimmerman

Previously reviewed at this venue:

JUST FOR ONE

JUST FOR ONE

JUST FOR ONE

JOIN US