Thriller Live (tour – Theatre Royal, Plymouth)

I did wonder what a ‘concert celebration’ is and now I know – it’s a tribute evening.

Opening with X-Factoresque facts and figures about iconic and notorious pop idol Michael Jackson on the ever-present LED backdrop, mega-fan Adrian Grant‘s Thriller Live! is still packing auditoriums eight years on with fans young and old eager for an evening of moonwalking and iconic song.

There’s no pretence of a storyline, just a few facts and figures inserted here and there while the enthusiastic line-up draws breath in the fast-paced jukebox show of hits from Jackson 5 days onwards.

The King of Pop’s costumes are emulated – with some lurex and Primark additions – and so is the fancy footwork but no one ‘plays’ Jackson. Instead the songs are shared amongst five lead vocalists – black and white, male and female. Quite appropriate for a Michael Jackson tribute.

Rachel Adedeji (X-Factor finalist), has presence with 'The Way You Make Me Feel' of particular note while Jesse Smith (Private Jet, UK Tour Bohemian Rhapsody) is quite the belter but his rocker poser persona seems out of kilter.

Tyrone Lee (Incognito and solo artiste) is all mellow vocals and gravitas contrasting with cheeky chappie Lascel Wood (who reduced X-Factor judge Kelly Rowlands to tears with 'Use Someone' and a hope to find his dad) upbeat and chirpy.

Mystery man Sean Christopher is almost a lookalike with his hat kept low and with the trademark moves so honed one can be forgiven for forgetting the voice.

But the greatest talent comes in the ensemble: with one exception, the youngsters ooze vitality. Chloe Ferns in particular catches the eye as does Jordan Laviniere with acrobatics, strutting and general versatility in spades.

Gary Lloyd‘s lively choreography is spot-on with expected moonwalking and crotch-grabbing a-plenty but mixing it up with leather-clad, blonde-plumed dominatrix strutting their stuff and whizzing about on sofas. Interesting – must have missed that video.

Hidden away behind a screen and only escaping for the odd guitar solo, is a very capable band which, under the precise direction of Andy Chisolm, is equally adept with pop and R&B as ballads and Motown. There’s decent enough sound however the stage mikes could do with being darker to knock out irritating sibilance.

The LED screen is used to great effect but where was Jarvis Cocker when we needed him? Going a tad far methinks projecting, as a backdrop to 'Heal The World', images of Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Mandela, Obama, Jesus, Geldof (hmm), Lennon (double hmm) and Jacko himself inter spaced with messages exhorting world peace.

Schmaltzy stuff but clearly the full house enjoyed it.

– Karen Bussell