We Will Rock You (Tour – Liverpool)

With a book by Ben Elton, and songs written and originally performed by Queen, the We Will Rock You musical has appeared across the UK for nearly ten years.

Set a few hundred years into the future where musical instruments have been outlawed, WWRY tells the tale of young dreamer Galileo, who seeks to find a way of bringing music back to life. Along with Scaramouche, he is able to break free from the clutches of the Killer Queen, and start his journey into musical heaven.

Noel Sullivan as Galileo is perfectly cast. He has an excellent stage presence and is extremely charismatic. Amanda Coutts as Scaramouche is also a delight to watch, and has an extraordinary voice. Slightly miscast is Ashley Russell. Whilst her acting is very good, her voice isn’t suited to some of the songs she sings – her higher register is slightly screechy.

A major problem was with the sound. At times, the acoustics are too loud and so the singers are constantly battling with the band, giving an unbalanced sound and affecting the quality of the music. However, it is nice to see a live band playing all of the hits.

Another problem is the story, which is not as good as the songs which are being sung. It feels as if it was put together in a rush and without much thought, and at times is overlong. Some characters are undeveloped and aren’t utilised as well as they could be.

The set design is simple, yet effective. It relies heavily on video projections which add to the futuristic vibe.

A musical with Queen’s back catalogue is always going to generate some interest, but the poor quality of the book does let the show down slightly. Despite this, everyone in the audience seemed to be having a wonderful time.

– David Jack