Review: WE WILL ROCK YOU

13 years after it opened in Melbourne, Queen and Ben Elton's rock theatrical We Will Rock You once again opened in a revival production that still rocked, albeit pretty limply. Let's get something straight, Queen's catalogue rolls out hit after hit throughout the show but it's script and the integration of these hits still remains problematic 13 years on. I was desperately hoping for some adaptions, some tweaking of the show that would make a meaningful difference to its storytelling. There were changes...Killer Queen's Play the Game has been scrapped for the utterly boring Now I'm Here while You're My Best Friend has also been added, serving no real purpose other than to lengthen an already tedious Act 1. It's so long in fact, and certainly feels it, that some slept while many audience left at interval.

There are some real standouts in the cast circa 2016. Jaz Flowers (Oz) and Thern Reynolds (Brit) lift the show dramatically when they enter half way through Act 1. Their energy and vocals truly soar in I Want It All. Casey Donovan as Killer Queen smashes out her vocals, nailing the intimidatory nature of her character. Brian Mannix is very likeable as Buddy, bringing a touch of charisma and cheekiness to the show. Gareth Keegan (Galileo) and Erin Clare (Scarmouche) try hard all night and for the most part give some incredibly challenging material a decent crack but Clare is underenergised in her dialogue while Keegan's stunning tenor voice isn't always suited to the rock timbre required for this show. The ensemble work particularly well together with Arlene Phillips' original choreography being danced with intricate precision emphasizing the robotic monotony of the Gaga world.

The true star of this show is the 8-piece band that acts as a character themselves. Musical Director David Skelton leads this group of rockers magnificently and without a doubt Queen's music is the real star of this show. Naturally this is highlighted in the concert style finale, which really gets the audience up and about after having to endure some very tedious moments prior to it. The ovation on opening night was pretty flat for opening night audiences. This was a true reflection of what they had just witnessed on stage. a pretty flat tired production with a smattering of magic moments teasing throughout.

We Will Rock You

Regent Theatre Melbourne

Until November 2016

Tickets: wewillrockyou.com.au

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