The Best of the West End – Royal Albert Hall

The Best of the West End at the Royal Albert Hall, London

Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

The breathtaking Best of the West End, presented by Alpha at the Royal Albert Hall, lived up to its name with some of the best stars in musical theatre taking to the stage for a one-off concert. The special gig in aid of Acting For Others was a celebration of all things musical and gave us exactly what we have been missing over the past year during the pandemic. Partnered with the celebration of the Royal Albert Hall’s 150th year, we really were in for a party from the outset.

Before discussing the night’s proceedings, it’s important to reflect on the purpose of the show. Five pounds from every ticket went to Acting For Others, the charity which provides financial and emotional support to theatre-workers in times of need. This cause was very much in our minds as we sat back and watched what we love making its comeback. As the lights went up, it was overwhelming to feel the emotion within this iconic auditorium. Theatre is back.

Ruthie Henshall took on the role of host as she carefully guided the flow of the show which is also being broadcast to Radio 2 listeners.

The show started with the high impact ‘America’ from West Side Story, followed by Layton Williams reclaiming the role of Jamie as he gave a show-stopping performance of ‘And You Don’t Even Know It’. Composed and confident in heels as always, Williams always provides the sass and glamour that we so need in our post-lockdown lives.

The night was filled with numbers from a variety of West End classics including Chicago and Kinky Boots. Matt Henry delivered a beautiful rendition of ‘Not My Father’s Son’ from the latter.

John Owen-Jones and Ben Forster gave us “two for the price of one” Phantoms of the Opera as they belted out ‘The Music of the Night’, beautifully complementing each other. Forster must also be commended for his work as creative director on the show (and credit to choreographer Stephen Mear too!).

Lauren Samuels and Sophie Evans first graced our TVs in 2010 in Over the Rainbow, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s search for an actress to play Dorothy in his production of The Wizard of Oz. Now experienced West End performers, their stunning medley of Judy Garland hits from their new album Chasing Rainbows, Finding Judy had us captivated.

Kerry Ellis owned the stage with her powerhouse renditions of ‘Memory’ and ‘Defying Gravity. Her ability to make an audience feel comfortable and overwhelmed at the same time is incredible. She also looked genuinely thrilled to be performing once again.

The London Musical Theatre Orchestra, conducted by Stuart Morley, and two choirs from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and MX Masterclass have never sounded so good (amazing acoustics in the Royal Albert Hall), especially when accompanying Matt Henry’s Lion King number.

As the show drew to a close, it was predictable what musical the final number would be from. Les Misérables. The perfect belter for the full cast.

A welcome surprise came as they quickly shifted to Hairspray’s ‘You Can’t Stop the Beat’ which provided the perfect end to an enjoyable celebration with the whole of the Royal Albert Hall up on their feet dancing.

Molly Kerrigan