Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield – until 21st July 2018.
Reviewed by Sophie Dodworth
3***
Michael Jackson is often referred to as the King of Pop and was one of the worlds greatest entertainers. His genius spanned four decades of hit songs, videos, albums and concerts which saw him sell over 750 million records, with the Thriller album still being the best selling recording of all time. Thriller Live continues its West End run and world tour as a tribute to his memory and a celebration of his work. This show includes over two hours of non-stop hit songs from his incredible career.
This production is suitable for all age groups as the songs take you through a time line of Jacksons hits, from the earlier Motown days though to his later hits, such as Earth Song. Throughout the show, the lead performers narrate his story to deliver the information needed about the crucial albums and hits.
This show explodes electric energy in to the audience right from the start in the form of lights, costumes and dance. This energy is not evident in all the performers though. One of the lead performers comes across as not all that committed which is a real shame considering the gust and efforts of the majority.
The four lead performers (Ina Seidou, Britt Quentin, Shaquille Hemmans and Rory Taylor) have outstanding voices. Listening to Rory Taylor during ‘She’s Out Of My Life’ makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up; Rory has a real wide range to his sweet tones. Ina Seidou really steals the show as the unforgettable performance, with her charismatic qualities, superb voice, energy and soul from beginning to end.
Frustratingly, however, Eddy Lima who acts as a fifth lead vocalist and styled to imitate Jackson exactly, appeared to be miming. He only had a minimal amount of songs but they were some of the most famous, including ‘Bad’. His dance moves and mannerisms were so alike Jacksons that during ‘Smooth Criminal’ you could have been led to believe that it was actually him. A little bit of a shame considering that most of the audience were coming to see someone imitating Jackson but all they got was dancing from this headliner.
The backing dancers and singers were full of energy and life, pumping colour and talent in to this tour…choreography by Gary Lloyd was knock out quality, replicating the original dance moves of Jackson during his stage performances and videos. However, not all the dancers were together 100% of the time which was a shame as visually, that is what this show is about.
Maybe the show needs a bit of a revamp if it is to carry on and move forward, it certainly needs a tighten up. However, this show is certainly a must-see for any dedicated Michael Jackson fan. It is a great night out and will have you on your feet or tapping your toes.