The Van Morrison Alumni Band at Emerald Theatre London Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Debbie Kingsland
Whilst I am a fan of Van Morrison music of which we all recognise the famous Brown Eyed Girl, Moon Dance and Have I told you lately. I wasn’t sure what to expect but boy it didn’t disappoint. The Emerald Theatre which has only been open since July 2025 is just how you would expect an up-market jazz and music hall. Both the bar and the decor has been elegantly designed to give almost a fifties art deco typed feel. The seating is velour curved sofa’s along with tables and chairs set out in two’s which makes the whole feel really intimate. The musicians on stage encouraged the audience to join in with both singing and dancing throughout the performance.
The show currently features a fabulous and elite group of musicians who have performed with some of the world’s most famous musicians from start to finish including Van. It was superb. Hosted by Leo Green who is an amazingly talented saxophone player and he really did bring an abundance of energy to the show. Leo has performed with Van Morrison, Paul McCartney and Jerry Lee Lewis but his history was with Van, and you can tell the respect and knowledge he holds about the man.
Other core members of the band include Matt Holland who plays the trumpet, Robin Aspland on the piano, Geoff Dunn on the drums, Matt White on the guitar, Jim Watson (Hammond) and Steve Pearce on the bass. All of these played alongside Van for a number of years and collectively appeared on a vast 845 Van Morrison recording credits.
The lead singers were equally great with unique and unrivalled voices including Jo Harman, Hayley Sanderson and Jess Greenfield coupled with backing vocals Sophie Hiller and Tess Burrstone. Wayne Hernandez who was the only male singer in the show was a typical 70’s and 80’s soul and Mowtown singer who captivated the audience. All of these vocalists were so good I would willingly go to see them as solo artists. That is how fabulous they all were.
After the show the individuals all came to the bar to mingle with the audience of which I thought was a really nice touch. I would recommend this for all adult age groups as there really is something for everyone both in the style and type of music.
Rating: 5/5
Where to get tickets – https://www.thevanmorrisonalumniband.com/see-us-live
Ticket prices – from £35 to £75 per ticket – I think you can get cheaper tickets on third party sites.
Recommended to get there for when the doors open at 7pm as whilst there are grades of tickets there are not individual seat numbers for your ticket.
Show times – Every Tuesday from 7:30pm until December 22nd, 2026. There is a 20-minute interval, and the show finishes approximately 10 – 10:15 pm.
Theatre – The Emerald Theatre, 8 Victoria Embankment WC2R 2AB
Directions – Nearest train stations are Embankment or Blackfriars or tube Temple. All within a 12 minute walk.
Refreshments – There is a well equipped bar but they do not do food nor can you bring anything in.
Accessibility – The theatre looks as if it could easily accommodate wheelchairs although seating is chairs with tables in front and curved sofa typed seating with tables so probably best to call beforehand.
https://emeraldtheatre.seetickets.com/tour/the-van-morrison-alumni-band