Cilla The Musical – Milton Keynes Theatre and Touring

Picture: Matt Martin

Cilla The Musical continues at Milton Keynes Theatre until 3 November 2018. The tour is booking until 1 December 2018.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

Cilla The Musical is a fully immersive dive back in time. Transporting the audience back to the humble beginnings of household name Cilla Black (along with close friends The Beatles) who began as key figures of the Liverpool music scene in the 60s, the show successfully juggles the biography of Cilla whilst enamouring the audience with renditions of hits such as ‘Love of the Loved’ and ‘Alfie.’ 

Thanks to the creative team led by director Bill Kenwright, and cast headed by Kara Lily Hayworth as Cilla, the musical is surprisingly cohesive with the placement of such renditions falling effortlessly into play with the script and faultless acting of the cast. Hayworth’s portrayal of the late star is a true homage in that it is difficult to tell where she ends and Cilla begins. In the opening scene of Act II, there is a split moment in which she drinks in the supposed audience of 1960s London Palladium, yet this may very well be authentic, so convincing is Hayworth’s performance. 

Humour is sustained throughout the production but is evidently heightened by comic relief in the form of Cilla’s best friends Pat (Billie Hardy), Pauline (Gemma Brodrick-Bower), a fun-loving and outspoken duo, but most notably her father John White (Neil MacDonald).

White’s comical distaste for noise in general (introduced at the beginning of Act I when he often winces both at the musings of the radio and Cilla’s singing), is gradually overcome by Act II when both him (and the audience) are enthralled by the now fully sequinned and self-assured singing star.

With regards to costume, set and lighting, these set values convincingly ensemble the physical metamorphosis of Cilla White into that of renown star Cilla Black. Lighting alone is masterfully used to dimly light the old underground haunts of the Liverpool music scene, and when coupled with the explosive yet understated sets of The Beatles, this only serves to layer anticipation for the stardom to come.

Perhaps even better is the clever mockery these set values make of Cilla’s attempt to ‘break America’, her initial failure foreshadowed by the rainbow induced set of The Mamas & the Papas and the achingly stereotypical hippie costumes, in comparison to the grey skyline of Liverpool and Cilla’s unassuming mod dresses.

Cilla The Musical delivers a night of unquestionable entertainment. However, it is worth noting that Act I pales slightly in comparison to Act II in that the pace and flow of the production suffer slightly at the cost of context. While this is a necessity for a show that becomes ever-more captivating as the story unfolds, the pace is initially rather slow and thus mismatched with the high-energy numbers. 

Yet this does not affect a production that is otherwise a must-see, not only reserved for theatre enthusiasts but any member of the public ready to be transported back to the 60s for a truly memorable performance.

Jessica Lochan-Jenkinson