As the first entry from Manor Musical Theatre Company into our peripatetic competition, their production of We Will Rock You at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall made a very strong impression and delivered a hugely entertaining evening from start to finish.
For anyone unfamiliar with the show, We Will Rock You is set in a futuristic world where live music has been banned and individuality stamped out. A group of rebels — the Bohemians — fight back against the all-powerful Killer Queen and her corporation in the hope of bringing rock music back to the world. It’s gloriously over-the-top in places, packed with Queen hits and full of tongue-in-cheek humour, but Manor Musical Theatre Company managed to strike exactly the right balance throughout.
Dan Hardy led the show well as Galileo, giving a confident performance and handling the vocals strongly. Alongside him, Siobhon Louise Thornley was excellent as Scaramouche. Her vocals were outstanding all evening, and she and Hardy worked very naturally together, giving the show a believable emotional core amongst all the madness going on around them.
Juliet Fisher was also outstanding as Oz, delivering some fantastic vocals while bringing warmth, humour and real personality to the role. Her chemistry with Dan McCloskey’s Brit gave the Bohemian scenes a lot of heart and charm, and Dan’s vocals proved a perfect match for Juliet’s throughout. Well done to both.
Chleo Mason was commanding as Killer Queen, looking every bit the part and delivering some superb vocals of her own. Mason and Kian Haden worked particularly well together, bouncing off each other brilliantly whenever they shared the stage. Kian’s performance as Khashoggi also brought an unexpected comic edge at times — and while I’m fairly sure it wasn’t intentional, I couldn’t quite shake the feeling that he was channeling Joe Lycett in some of his mannerisms and delivery. Please don’t be offended — it only added to the entertainment value.
Mike Willis deserves a special mention as Buddy. There was more than a touch of Jasper Carrott about his performance, which really worked for the character and got plenty of laughs from the audience. At the same time, he also delivered a genuinely touching performance during “These Are the Days of Our Lives”, showing a softer side to the role.
The supporting cast were excellent throughout. Whether appearing as Bohemians or Yuppies, everyone on stage contributed something and helped make the world of the show feel alive. The choreography was slick and energetic, and the dance team carried it all off seamlessly.
The costumes also deserve a lot of praise. There were some brilliant touches throughout the show, from references to the Spice Girls to some fantastic leather outfits for Killer Queen that looked suitably outrageous — which was absolutely necessary.
That balance was probably the production’s biggest achievement. We Will Rock You can easily tip too far into parody if it isn’t handled carefully. Some of the songs and choreography — “Fat Bottomed Girls” being the obvious example — could quite easily become ridiculous or feel like a complete send-up of itself. Thankfully, Manor Musical Theatre Company knew exactly where the line was. The humour was played properly for laughs, but the performances always stayed grounded enough that the audience stayed with the story rather than feeling like it had turned into a sketch show.
Vocally, the whole company was strong. Queen’s music is never easy to perform, but the cast handled it brilliantly and the ensemble numbers sounded full and confident all evening. The live band, under the musical direction of Chris Arnold, were excellent throughout and kept the energy levels high from beginning to end.
Credit also has to go to director Louise Holmes and choreographer Connie Mortiboy for putting together a production that felt polished, lively and genuinely fun. By the time the cast launched into “We Are the Champions” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” at the finale, the audience were completely with them.
Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable production with strong performances, excellent vocals, great humour and a real affection for Queen’s music running right through it. A very good night’s entertainment.
Now, where’s my bicycle?
Reviewed by – David T.
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