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
