Tag Archives: London Palladium

QUEEN BY CANDLELIGHT

★★★★

UK Tour

QUEEN BY CANDLELIGHT

London Palladium

★★★★

“stirring, faithful and poignant”

Two questions immediately spring to mind. The first is: why candlelight? Why does the stage of the London Palladium have the appearance of a Guns N’ Roses video dressed as it is with hundreds of flickering (albeit artificial) flames.

There is an answer, but it is attached to a story so more on that later.

The second more pressing question is: how on earth are you supposed to replace or replicate one of the greatest frontmen in rock history, a man of splendid pomp and quite remarkable vocal dexterity?

The answer is 13.

That’s how many Freddie Mercurys there are in this stirring, faithful and poignant tribute to the music of Queen.

All 13 – including four women to account for his operatic range – are rip-roaring West End quality singers, and each has a moment in the spotlight. And then occasionally they come together in a sort of Mercury clone chorus, as if to suggest that 13 quasi-Freddies is the only way to do justice to the majesty of the original.

And in case you’re checking the exchange rate, two guitarists are the equivalent of one Brian May, but John Deacon and Roger Taylor have parity, one for one. In addition, there are keyboards and strings which add drama to some of Queen’s more swelling songs, such as Who Wants To Live Forever? (Thousands of rheumy eyes prickling with tears over lost youths and lost lives.)

And in answer to the candlelight question, the original core troupe was launched to create work for musicians affected by Covid-19. The production was one of the first shows to be staged after lockdown and the only venues available were churches, hence the candles.

Since then, the show has been performed over 300 times including at St Paul’s Cathedral (completing the church loop) and Carnegie Hall, New York.

There was an overabundance of self-congratulation throughout the evening – we were forever being urged to applaud every wail and lick – but that’s OK. Production company Kinda Dusty made it to the Palladium. They have a right to be a little pleased with themselves.

Back to the music, to the anthems, to a back catalogue so stuffed with classics that choosing what stays and what goes must have been a nightmare. Look, here comes another stormer: Somebody To Love, and another, the ridiculously gorgeous Days Of Our Lives. Killer Queen. Don’t Stop Me Now. The Show Must Go On (that last pair having a certain urgency as the show was halted for a medical emergency in the audience). I Want To Break Free. A stripped down Love Of My Life.

And then, on our feet for We Are The Champions, Radio Ga Ga (“let’s see those hands”). You find yourself smiling. Maybe you didn’t mean to smile, weren’t in the mood to smile, but there it is anyway: the smile.

Finally, the massed ranks of Mercurys with accompanying Palladium chorus, come together for a rousing and inevitable Bohemian Rhapsody to mark its 50th birthday.

Even without the real thing, it’s a kind of magic.



QUEEN BY CANDLELIGHT

London Palladium

Reviewed on 8th April 2025

by Giles Broadbent

Photography by Matt Young

 

 


 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

FIGARO: AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL | ★★ | February 2025
HELLO, DOLLY! | ★★★★ | July 2024
THE ADDAMS FAMILY A MUSICAL COMEDY – LIVE IN CONCERT | ★½ | February 2024
TRUE TALES OF SEX, SUCCESS AND SEX AND THE CITY | ★★★½ | February 2024
DEATH NOTE – THE MUSICAL IN CONCERT | ★★★★ | August 2023

QUEEN BY CANDLELIGHT

QUEEN BY CANDLELIGHT

QUEEN BY CANDLELIGHT

FIGARO: AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL

★★

London Palladium

FIGARO: AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL

London Palladium

★★

“The cast of seven worked as well as they could and the standout performances were the two children”

A two-night run at the London Palladium of new musical Figaro – An Original Musical; with music, lyrics, co-book, co-created, orchestrated and arranged by Ashley Jana and co-book, co-created and directed by Will Nunziata.

This was a brave move to put a “full” production on stage of a new musical on to such an iconic stage – but the hope would be that it will be picked up and given an onward life. Clearly a lot of development, time and money has gone into the show to date and it already has a list of 10 producers’ names above the title. This is American duo’s Jana and Nunziata’s first musical – and one wonder’s why it was premiered in this showcase in London’s West End rather than Broadway?

Figaro – An Original Musical is set in Italy and tells the story of Sienna (Cayleigh Capaldi) who dreams of singing professionally but lives a hard life on the farm with her father (Daniel Brocklebank). On a rainy day at the local market, she gets separated from her father and finds herself in a completely different town, and, as her head spins, she is saved by two young orphans who take her to their home, a travelling circus run by the Svengali that is Figaro (Jon Robyns). Very much like the story of Phantom of the Opera, Sienna becomes the bright shining singing star of the travelling show, replacing the original star and lover of Figaro, Lucia (Aimie Atkinson). But it was never going to end well, as we knew, having seen a dead Figaro lying at the feet of Sienna at the opening of the show before it then goes back in time to the beginning of the story – very Sunset Boulevard.

The book needs a lot of work still, with various storylines left in the air and grating lines such as the dastardly Figaro ordering the innocent Sienna “meet me in the alley in 10 minutes”. The score is ballad after ballad, everyone sings a ballad, none of which move the musical on, with lyrics like “April showers, fake plastic flowers” when singing of a broken heart. Mostly the end of the songs come as a slight surprise, as they seem to peter out and never quite finish, even though most have a strong and telling key change.

The cast of seven worked as well as they could and the standout performances were the two children, even though their storyline didn’t hold together. Both children already have strong leading West End credits to their names, Sophia Goodman having just played the titular role in Matilda, and Cian Eagle-Service is currently starring as Oliver in Oliver! which I recently saw and commented on his extraordinary voice, as being one to watch. They gave some sweet light relief. Throw in a caring seamstress Gia (Ava Brennan) who sees all but does nothing to help, and it is difficult to see where any of these characters might go.

Capaldi sings well with a great vocal range, but her big number, when Sienna sings like an angel for the first time, does not make the iconic and unforgettable scene that The Greatest Showman’s ‘Never Enough’ does, however similar. There is no passion or connection between Capaldi and the supposedly mesmeric Figaro (Jon Robyns); and other than hypnotising them all with his gold fob watch, it is difficult to see what possible hold Figaro has over everyone.

The opening number of Act II, sung by Robyns, might well sit better as a strong scene setting opening to the whole show. Act II could then open with Sienna making her glorious debut performance. Lose the picnic with Sienna and the children, with Figaro telling them that he had not killed Lucia…. which then would enable a dramatic scene seeing Lucia is very much alive in Act II seeking revenge – having ducked Figaro’s bullet which the audience thought had killed her at the end of Act One…… Are you keeping up?

Figaro – An Original Musical is a work in progress – and in many ways it was a shame that rather than the Musical in Concert on the Palladium stage as expected and advertised, it tried to be a full on production off book, with a one frame set, costumes (low budget mix between Six and Les Mis), and just the seven principles on stage – and no ensemble, not that there were any songs that could have been for a chorus, as all most definitely solo ballads.

For a first performance it was tight, well-rehearsed, with good sound and a strong band led by musical director Caitlin Morgan. They all get to perform Figaro – An Original Musical all over again on the 4th February – then maybe it’s back to the drawing board….



FIGARO: AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL

London Palladium

Reviewed on 3rd February 2025

by Debbie Rich

Photography by Fahad Alinizi

 

 


 

 

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

HELLO, DOLLY! | ★★★★ | July 2024
THE ADDAMS FAMILY A MUSICAL COMEDY – LIVE IN CONCERT | ★½ | February 2024
TRUE TALES OF SEX, SUCCESS AND SEX AND THE CITY | ★★★½ | February 2024
DEATH NOTE – THE MUSICAL IN CONCERT | ★★★★ | August 2023

FIGARO

FIGARO

IGARO