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.

JUST FOR ONE DAY

Shaftesbury Theatre

Reviewed on 11th June 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Evan Zimmerman

Previously reviewed at this venue:

& JULIET | ★★★★ | April 2022

BE MORE CHILL | ★★★★ | July 2021

ABBA MANIA | ★★★★ | May 2021

JUST FOR ONE

★★★★

“This Quadrophenia is a feast for the eyes”

Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia, A Mod Ballet, part of Sadler’s Wells On Tour, has reached Edinburgh. For fans of Pete Townshend and The Who; the album Quadrophenia (1973), and the film Quadrophenia (1979), this is welcome news. But make no mistake, Quadrophenia, A Mod Ballet, while sharing much of the same material with its predecessors, is also quite different. Paradoxically, this most recent reimagining cannot really be appreciated unless you know the earlier works. How you feel about The Who’s hard hitting sound—and especially their lyrics—being omitted from this version is up to you. But should you need compensation, you will find it in the wonderful dancing, extraordinary design, and lovely orchestration. Last night’s audience at the Festival Theatre lapped it up with enthusiasm.

Quadrophenia has always been a piece about summing up the voices of the Mod generation. The 1960s marked the beginning of something new in post war Britain—a young demographic who had their own music, their own fashions, and crucially, money in their pockets to spend on these things. The Mods, and their arch rivals, the Rockers, took all these things to the dance floors, and then to the streets. Quadrophenia celebrates all this, but also emphasizes the confusion and dissociation that some felt in a shifting culture that defined itself by opposition. Opposition to their parents and their values, to the blue collar factory jobs, and the drabness that was Britain then, still struggling to emerge from the trauma of World War Two. The show captures the style and the energy of the Mods and Rockers in its dance, costumes, and elaborate stage projections. But in this version of the story, the edginess is muted, and good looks take precedence over protest. And another important theme, always bubbling below the surface of The Who’s music and lyrics, and the film of Quadrophenia, that of the fractured, schizophrenic self, is difficult to recognize in A Mod Ballet unless you know the earlier history.

Quadrophenia, A Mod Ballet has assembled a fantastically talented group for this production. The team have extensive experience of the performing arts in ballet, musicals, and it shows. From director Rob Ashford, choreographer Paul Roberts and musical director and orchestrator Rachel Fuller to set designer Christopher Oram, video designer Yeastculture.org, and the costume design team of Paul Smith, Natalie Pryce and Hannah Teare, this is a seamless production that feels like a Broadway musical. It doesn’t hurt that many of the artists working on this show have also had extensive experience with working on rock concerts, and world class orchestras. There’s a distinct air of glamour surrounding the dancers on stage even as the muscular choreography breaks out a few moves not usually seen in ballet. The dancers themselves inhabit the constantly changing space with a mix of dance, and acting, even if they don’t speak. When they aren’t dancing, they’re sitting in diners, drinking coffee, or even, in a brilliantly choreographed scene, being part of a crowded train carriage during the rush hour. Every detail of the period is captured; it’s lit to great advantage by lighting designer Fabiana Piccioli. This Quadrophenia is a feast for the eyes.

A Mod Ballet marks a new direction in the ongoing story of Quadrophenia. Whether it will succeed with audiences in the same way that The Who’s rock opera Tommy succeeded, for example, remains to be seen. But this show is sure to please dance enthusiasts everywhere, even if the narrative struggles to maintain equal clarity with the music and choreography.

Tag Archives: Recommended Show

JUST FOR ONE DAY

★★★★

Shaftesbury Theatre

JUST FOR ONE DAY

Shaftesbury Theatre

★★★★

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