MOONLIGHT
Eventim Apollo
★★★
“An impressive four-piece band is on hand to lift the show from its strained narrative”
The new rock musical, “Moonlight – The Philip Lynott Enigma” opens with Thin Lizzy’s erstwhile lead guitarist, Eric Bell, delivering a few reminiscences about his time with Phil Lynott. Describing him as an ‘ordinary guy, and an extraordinary guy’, the expectations in the crowd at Hammersmith’s Apollo are high, further fuelled by a teasing pre-echo of Bell’s iconic free-form guitar riffs. His presence is swiftly replaced by that of Oscar Wilde (a dandyish Riley Clark) belting out a song replete with Wildeisms. ‘A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight’. The aim, allegedly, is to place Lynott in the same bracket as Ireland’s great poets, painting him as a tragic figure who died too young.
It’s an intriguing premise. Writers John and Danielle Merrigan have set their biodrama in the mythological Tír Na BhFilí – ‘Land of the Poets’ – which, in this scenario, is an Irish pub just down the road from the Afterlife. Poet Brendan Behan (an expressively vocal Padraig O’Loingsigh) is lining up the drinks in anticipation of the new arrival. He sets the scene, bantering with pub landlord Paddy (Luke Hayden), exposition spilling like thick splashes of Guinness onto the spit-and-sawdust floor. Centre stage is a shaft of light, into which the silhouetted figure of Lynott appears. Peter M. Smith bears a striking resemblance to the Thin Lizzy frontman as he launches into an atmospheric, unplugged version of ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’.
Behan and Lynott are the focus of the show. There are flickering shades of Frank Capra’s ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ as the two look back over Lynott’s life. Again though, exposition is the order of the day as facts are served up faster than pints are pulled. Director Jason Figgis has a fascinating structure to work with, but the script – although well written and often sharply insightful – hinders by being unsure of its genre. For a musical, it is very wordy; but furthermore, for a musical about Phil Lynott, it is overwhelmed by the writers’ original compositions in favour of Thin Lizzy’s catalogue. Fans will be disappointed. The Merrigan duo seem to be trying to shoehorn their own musical into a conflicting rock gig formula.
An impressive four-piece band, led by Musical Director Larry Hogan, is on hand to lift the show from its strained narrative. A rousing rendition of ‘Jailbreak’ opens the second act, although it is more of an entr’acte before slipping back into history lesson territory. The vocal performances are magnificent, however, especially Smith who can shift from soulful introspection to rebellion in a semi-quaver. Mazz Murray, as Lynott’s mother Philomena, shines during her brief appearances but is trapped within power ballads that belong to another show. ‘What About Me?’ is a stunning performance by Murray, which segues into a duet with Smith – but it simply doesn’t belong here. Juxtaposed with rambling dialogue about ‘legacy’ and ‘poetry’, the spirit of Lynott starts to slip away. By now a decidedly one-over-the-eight Brendan Behan is starting to look as confused as the audience. It’s closing time, and Hayden’s barman is back, mopping up the platitudes and wringing them out for all they are worth, while Oscar Wilde reappears in the guise of an MT balladeer.
An encore takes the place of a curtain call. ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’ is reprised with its full ‘Lizzyesque’ treatment. Eric Bell bookends the show, returning to the stage, Fender Stratocaster in hand ready for a show-stealing display of guitar riffs. ‘Whisky in the Jar’ (again a reprise) gets the audience to their feet. It’s late in the day, but the show has found its voice. The title describes Phil Lynott as an enigma, and Peter M. Smith’s powerful portrayal captures this essence. But like its subject, the show is a bit of an enigma too.
MOONLIGHT
Eventim Apollo then UK Tour continues
Reviewed on 29th March 2026
by Jonathan Evans
Photography by Cormac Figgis
