Burlesque the Musical at Sheffield Lyceum Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW’
Reviewed by Sheridan Brown
Sheffield’s Lyceum Theatre is no stranger to fabulous musical theatre productions. And last night it opened its doors to audiences for the opening night of Burlesque the Musical. What more could we want, on a cold, windy October night, than to be dazzled by a new touring production. From executive producer Christine Aguilera, the show is filled with glamour, sizzling choreography and enough sass to make a diva blush!
Based on the 2010 film starring Christina Aguilera and Cher, the production, written and directed by Steven Antin, tells the story of Ali, a small-town girl who travels to New York to find her long-lost mother. What she does find is a Burlesque Lounge – a hidden nightclub world beneath the city lights – inhabited by a colourful collection of dreamers and divas, misfits and Machiavellians. And as Ali finds her feet in the club, she makes unexpected friends, finds her voice and begins to understand where she belongs.
As you might imagine, a show called Burlesque has rather an expectation to live up to. But the production team did not disappoint. The costumes were absolutely fabulous, the choreography, scintillating and set, lighting and music came together to create a world of glamour, glitz and glorious sauciness.
The assembled cast all really shone. But for us the utter star of the show was Gracie O’Brien who played Ali. What a fabulous voice she had; soulful, skilful and reminiscent of Aguilera herself. Her stage presence was superb – we couldn’t take our eyes off her! What astounded us was that O’Brien was making her professional debut in this production! We were so impressed with the way O’Brien’s voice complemented the voices of her fellow leads. We noticed this particularly in her solos with Faye Brookes, who played Tess and Tyler Davis, who played Jack. The tones and harmonies in their ballads were subtle and very beautiful.
Every good story has to have a villain – and we very much enjoyed the character of Vince, played by Davide Fienauri in this role. His fabulous tenor and great acting brought a dastardly confidence to the character – at times, he reminded of Jafar from Aladdin, at times.
In contrast, one of the aspects of the show we very much enjoyed was the use of humour. Sometimes this was a perfect foil for all the sexiness on stage. It was clear that the production wasn’t taking itself too seriously and that it used humour brilliantly. We felt that Tyler Davis’ comic timing was particularly good – especially the ‘scene with the watering can’ and the deliberately cheesy boy-band pastiche ‘Natalie’.
As mentioned earlier, the production team have come together to create a show that is an utter feast for the eyes. Designed by Marco Marco, costumes were skimpy, sexy and unmistakably burlesque – but cleverly constructed to protect the modesty of the performers. There were numerous costume changes for all the performers, which added to the spectacle of the show. I particularly liked watching Ali’s costumes change as she became ever more at home in the world of burlesque.
The dazzling costumes, when combined with scintillating and downright raunchy choreography, created a spectacular visual feast. Designed by Robin Antin (the force behind the Pussycat Dolls) and Aaron Renfree, the choreography is central to the success of the show. We both felt the choreography captured the mood of a jazz club with echoes of Bob Fosse throughout. There were several full-company or ensemble pieces where tight choreography, beautifully precise movements and spectacular lighting (Joshie Harriette) came together to create a superb atmosphere.
At the heart of the production is the music. Orchestrated and arranged by Tom Curran, the music was big and bold. With 34 numbers across the show, the live band really held its own. Blending songs from a range of songwriters including Christina Aguilera, Sia and Diane Warren with fresh material from Todrick Hall and Jess Folley, the production’s energy, heart and swagger really shone through.
All in all, this certainly was a visually dazzling production. If you’re looking for subtle narrative and well-developed characters, this might not be the show for you. But if you’re looking for a feel-good romp and full-throttle musical spectacle then certainly is! The cast commits wholeheartedly and the production has a wonderful sense of fun. Perfect to brighten an autumn night in Sheffield.
Rating: 4/5
Dates: 28th October 2026 – 31st October 2026
Tickets: £15 – £90.50
Remaining shows are bookable here: www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events/burlesque-musical