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

SABRAGE

Lafayette

★★★★

“a stream of virtuosity, acrobatics, dancing, singing, burlesque, gravity-defying feats, sassiness, sexiness and humour is unleashed onto the stage”

‘Lafayette’ is a name that conjures exoticism, glamour, and a Parisienne ‘je-ne-sais-quoi’; mixed in with the ‘big-easy’ hedonism of New Orleans. But tucked away in London’s King’s Cross, Lafayette is a music venue with a difference. Established five years ago by Ben Lovett, it has always veered towards embracing a more eclectic theatricality; its traditional roots seeking out the avant-garde. Teaming up with ‘Strut and Fret’ and the Menier Chocolate Factory, it has met its match with “Sabrage”, a unique, salacious and somewhat chaotic theatre experience that bewilders and bewitches in equal measure.

We are led through an unmarked, leather-padded doorway, down a rabbit warren of corridors, and into a Speakeasy. From there – with a cocktail thrust into our hand – we are ushered into the auditorium. The air is as effervescent as the drinks. The definition of ‘Sabrage’ is the ceremonial practice of opening a champagne bottle with a sabre. And with a flourish, that action begins the show. It takes a little while, however, for the co-hosts to rise to our expectations. Spencer Novich and Remi Martin (which may or may not be his real name) are trying just a touch too hard while slipping into ‘Eurotrash’ style caricature and over-egging the audience participation. Their banter dominates. The acts are a sideshow. We want the balance redressed. Maybe there was an emergency meeting during the interval, for the second act is a different beast altogether. The pace feels as though it has been shaken up in a magnum of the finest Bollinger and a stream of virtuosity, acrobatics, dancing, singing, burlesque, gravity-defying feats, sassiness, sexiness and humour is unleashed onto the stage.

Novich’s and Martin’s talents are truly revealed, particularly Novich during an ingenious, rapid-fire and completely absurd lip-synch routine. Emma Phillips performs some quite stunning juggling acts with a set of Chinese parasols, using just her feet. But she doesn’t stop there. A solid wooden table is the next prop, to which Phillips somehow manages to give the gift of graceful flight as she spins it into the air from one foot to the other. Flynn Miller and Kimberley Bargenquast are a strikingly charismatic aerial duo whose movements through the air are precise yet hauntingly and musically erotic. Christian Nimri dances like an acrobat on his roller-skates, while Skye Ladell and Rechelle Mansour complement their own dancing artistry with fine vocal skills. All individual acts, they frequently overlap and combine into spectacular ensembles. Under Scott Maidment’s inventive direction it is sometimes hard to believe that the cast is composed of just eight performers.

The erratic nature of the show throws up many moments of downright silliness too. A trio of French maids writhe to a disco beat with dusters and aerosols. And throughout the show, plenty of flesh is shown. Even, at one point, a certain part of the (male) anatomy is transformed into a bizarre percussion instrument. Thankfully (depending on your penchant) this is more heard than seen – but our imaginations are nonetheless left underused. Oh, and if you are more than a little apprehensive about being singled out in the audience, there isn’t much escape. But by the time this show has found its feet and is in full swing, escape is far from our minds. “Sabrage” is a spectacle that draws you in. A fair bit of pruning at the outset wouldn’t go amiss. It’s an acquired taste but after the initial discomfort it goes down smoothly. A heady mix – laced with bubbles. Not quite cabaret, not quite circus, but an intoxicating blend that can’t fail to get corks popping.

QUEEN BY CANDLELIGHT

London Palladium

★★★★

“stirring, faithful and poignant”

QUEEN BY CANDLELIGHT

London Palladium

Reviewed on 8th April 2025

by Giles Broadbent

Photography by Matt Young

Previously reviewed at this venue:

QUEEN BY CANDLELIGHT

QUEEN BY CANDLELIGHT

QUEEN BY CANDLELIGHT

SABRAGE

Lafayette

★★★★

“a stream of virtuosity, acrobatics, dancing, singing, burlesque, gravity-defying feats, sassiness, sexiness and humour is unleashed onto the stage”

SABRAGE

Lafayette

Reviewed on 26th March 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Matt Crockett

Recently reviewed by Jonathan:

SABRAGE

SABRAGE

SABRAGE

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