Starlight Express

Synopsis

The theatre is completely transformed as Rusty (the shy steam engine) races against Greaseball (the flashy diesel locomotive) to win the love of the most beautiful carriage in town, Pearl. Fuses state of the art technology, electrifying songs and music,dazzling sets and costumes. Two hours of speed, spectacle, excitement and energy!

Our Review:

Simon Cole - 1 August 2012

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s loco-musical juggernaut Starlight Express has had a facelift and rolled into Bournemouth this week for a three week summer stopover, much to the delight of local theatre-goers and holiday-makers (who would frankly love anything that gets them in out of our glorious summer rain).

Playing at the cavernous Bournemouth International Centre, not ideally suited to theatrical productions, Bill Kenwright’s re-imagining of the ground breaking 1980s spectacular complete with 3D imagery and rock concert lighting does a grand job of filling the space and wowing the audience.

As Mr Kenwright is now cornering the market in reviving and touring Lloyd Webber’s back catalogue, and it is rumoured that both Woman in White and Love Never Dies may be doing the rounds in the next couple of years, I am the last person who would in any way discourage their endeavours. Craig Revel-Horwood’s revival of Sunset Boulevard (also ...

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Latest User Review

David Baxter - 5 September 2012:

At Southend Cliffs Pavilion. Lloyd Webber is still tinkering and adding songs to Starlight Express but it now looks and sounds like a dated 80s timewarp and this latest version is over-choreographed by Arlene Phillips. The plot is wafer thin and any attempts at characterisation are lost amidst all the whizzing about, sub-standard 3D film inserts and a light show which literally dazzles the audience. Richard Stilgoe is a writer of genuine wit but too many of his lyrics are lost in a heavily amplified sound system and I wonder how many people now remember DIVORCE, the inspiration for UNCOUPLED. The gospellish version of the title song is still a rousing highlight and the inevitable megamix ensures that the show ends with an exciting climax, especially for first-timers, but otherwise this is a show that should be consigned to the ALW archives....

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