Reviewed by Louise Watts
On 29 August 1958 in Indiana, USA, a baby was born. No one could ever have imagined that this baby would go on to make the bestselling album of all time. This baby was Michael Jackson. Whether you are a Michael fan or not, it is simply impossible not to have the greatest respect for this man who wrote the most incredible music and had the most successful career until his sad passing in June 2009.
Last evening, I attended The Hawth theatre in Crawley with my 9-year-old dance mad daughter to see Thriller Live. This show has been running since 2005 and is still being performed in the West End at the Lyric theatre as well as touring the UK. The show is a tribute to Michael Jackson and the wonderful music he created. It has a running time of 2½ hours including an interval and is a non-stop celebration of his incredible talent.
The set was simple but worked brilliantly with a computer style screen showing pictures and lights in the background. The band were on stage behind this screen but when the screen opened you could see them performing and the dedication was obvious. There were six lead vocalists and the hits are shared nicely among them. I would have liked to have seen a little more of Eddy Lima and Ina van Woersem but their voices were amazing and the dancing of Eddy was almost on a par with The King Of Pop himself! He looked the part, sounded the part and danced the part…. the full package!
All of Michael’s best hits were performed as well as some of the Jackson 5 hits. My favourites were Billie Jean, Smooth Criminal and the best without a doubt was Thriller! The dancers were exceptional and the costumes very fitting to the era the songs were from. The dances ran smoothly, and the songs were well connected, there was no feeling of disjointedness.
My favourite vocalist had to be Rory Taylor and his rendition of “She’s out of my life” literally had me knocking at the knees. It was absolutely beautiful. His voice was soft and tender and the feeling that he sang the song with was out of this world. Adriana Figueroa deserves a medal for her performance. Apart from having a fantastic voice, her stamina was beyond my imagination. The number of songs and dances she was involved in throughout the show was huge and even at the end there was no sign of her flaking and for that alone she deserves huge praise! Britt Quentin also looked and sounded like Michael. His voice was pitch perfect and if I sat in my chair with my eyes closed, I could imagine it was Michael performing. His enthusiasm and dancing was amazing and a huge congratulation to Gary Lloyd as director and choreographer for some outstanding dances. At the young age of 23, Shaquille Maurice Hemmans was the final lead vocalist. He is at the beginning of his career and following his performance last evening, I can only assume he will have a very long and successful life ahead of him. His whole performance was incredible, and I have no doubt we will be seeing a lot more of him in the world of theatre.
The audience were clearly enjoying every moment of the show with people clapping and joining in when audience participation was required. By the end of the show people were on their feet and dancing in the aisles. Every single member of the cast should feel very proud of their performance last night and I have no doubt every member of the audience enjoyed listening to Michael’s hits performed by them. A truly wonderful tribute to the undisputable King of Pop.
The Hawth is a delightful venue. The staff are always friendly and keen to help in any way they can. There are two bars serving drinks and nibbles and they offer a pre-show meal also. Drinks are reasonably priced and the biggest bonus here is that there is ample parking on site and it is free, so there are no concerns about not being able to park.
I would recommend Thriller Live to any Michael fan. You will not be disappointed, and it is a fantastic way to keep his music alive with the younger generation so as his music will continue to be passed on and listened to and his legacy will remain.
Rating: 5/5
Tickets cost from £32 to £37 (booking fees may apply).
Thriller Live is at The Hawth in Crawley from 23-28 October 2017, for more information or to book tickets visit hawth.co.uk or call the box office on 01293 553636.
The Hawth, Hawth Avenue, Crawley, Sussex, RH10 6YZ | 01293 553636
