Kieran Alleyne and young MJ Xhanti Mbonzongwana perform Billie Jean at the 4,000 performance of Thriller Live at the Lyric Theatre, London. Picture: Betty Zapata
Thriller Live (4,000th performance) at the Lyric Theatre, London.
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
If you’re looking for a quiet night out, Thriller Live probably isn’t the place for you. However, if you’re after a show where you’re encouraged to treat it as if you were going to see the late king of pop himself, then this is exactly where you need to be.
Thriller Live celebrated its 4,000th show with a gala performance in aid of The Prince’s Trust hosted by Russell Kane and Jon Culshaw and with several performances from Peter Andre.
The show is a fitting musical tribute to Michael Jackson and covers his best hits all the way from ‘I’ll Be There’ to, you guessed it, ‘Thriller’. There is no plot to string the songs together which shows how powerful they’ve remained to stand on their own as a two-hour non-stop testimony to Michael Jackson. Don’t feel like you have to be a hardcore MJ fan to enjoy the show because even if you only know his songs from the radio, there is something in there for everyone.
With his career kicking off in the late 60s as part of The Jackson Five and still featuring on songs today, it comes as no surprise that his music brings together people from all generations. Whether you’re nine or 90, audience participation is highly encouraged and once you’re in the room it’s kind of hard to resist.
It’s impossible not to be completely spell-bound by the choreography in this show with Gary Lloyd perfectly capturing the moves and the essence of the kind of showman Michael Jackson was. It’s really incredible to see the dancers bringing such a high energy to the powerful choreography throughout the show. No one can ever match up to Michael Jackson’s talents but the vocalists could definitely give him a run for his money.
Peter Andre was invited on stage to sing some of Jackson’s greatest hits with a particular highlight being ‘Man in the Mirror’ which got the whole audience on their feet, apparently a first for the show. Andre is charismatic and his voice is fitting for the role, but the rest of the cast is so energetic and powerful that it would be impossible for many singers to shine among them.
Kieran Alleyne returns to the cast as an adult Michael Jackson after previously playing young MJ at the age of 13. It’s hard to believe that Alleyne has no professional training when he first takes on this role because his dance skills are simply exceptional. It’s particularly enjoyable to watch him reprise ‘Billie Jean’ with the young Michael Jackson, on this occasion Xhanti Mbonzongwana (he alternates with Christian Posso and Jay-Jay Prince).
Thriller Live is a timeless show that will always find an audience at any time and any place. There is not one aspect of the show that doesn’t capture what a sensational performer Michael Jackson was. Regardless of how familiar you are with his tracks, either you’ll get to rediscover the songs you already loved or you’ll leave having gotten to know some of the greatest songs of all time. Either way, you’ll find that you just can’t control your feet.
Tal Fox
Tickets for Thriller Live are available HERE
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