Tonight's The Night (Tour – Birmingham)

Ben Elton's Tonight’s The Night stops off in Birmingham this week, providing the city with a shed load of Rod Stewart hits at the New Alexandra Theatre.

As with most jukebox musicals, the story is simple, with the show concentrating on the music; Tonight’s The Night is no different. The predictable and poor storyline makes it difficult to take the show seriously, but the mostly incredible cast do their best with the weak material.

Stuart (Ben Heathcote) trades in his soul for that of Rod Stewart in the hope of emulating his success with music and love. Heathcote’s rockstar isn’t all that believable (the oversized jackets don’t help him); his voice is reminiscent of Rod’s, but his shy and innocent former self is much more his forte.

The stars of the show are Tiffany Graves as Baby Jane and Satan (but with a terrible selection of leather skirts) and Jenna Lee-James as Mary. The duo have an immense power and control behind their voices that allow them to outshine the rest of the singers, in particular during "Tonight’s The Night" and "I Don’t Want To Talk About It".

Eurovision representative and Sugababe Jade Ewen returns to her theatre background as Dee Dee. Although she is for the most part underused, her solos during "What Am I Gonna Do?" and "Every Beat of My Heart" are a testament to her ability.

A beautiful, Rent-esque set, designed by Andrew Howe-Davies, allows an onstage band, with musical director Griff Johnson. Director Caroline Jay Ranger uses the stage to its full potential. Lighting design by Adam Bassett is incredibly intense and creates the perfect atmosphere for the most simple of scenes to the most extravagant.

Tonight’s The Night isn’t the most spectacular thing you will see, but it sure isn’t the worst jukebox musical out there. If you’re a fan of Rod Stewart there is no denying you will enjoy the songs. If you're not a fan then there really isn't anything else special enough about the show to draw you in.

Tonight The Night plays at the New Alexandra Theatre until March 1.