Original 2009 cast member Ben Forster, Eshan Gopal and the cast of Thriller Live at the Lyric Theatre, London. Pictures: Betty Zapata
Thriller Live continues at the Lyric Theatre, London.
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
After 10 years in the West End Thriller Live has made history as the longest-running show the Lyric Theatre has ever played host to, and is listed by Official London Theatre as the West End’s 14th longest-running musical.
But can Thriller Live accurately be categorised as a musical?
The brainchild of Adrian Grant, creator and editor of Michael Jackson’s official UK fan magazine Off The Wall, the show pays tribute to the King of Pop by utilising four highly-skilled performers – who together cover the legend’s broad vocal range and dynamics – and one of the fiercest, most charismatic dance ensembles in the West End, each with their own distinct specialties and personalities.
However, what really secures the show above mere tribute act status are the visual impersonations of the young, Jackson 5 era Michael (played by Messiah Unsudimi) and the iconic glitter-gloved, fedora sporting MJ (an uncanny Florivaldo Mossi). The moments in which they are introduced in silhouette remain spine-tingling as, for a split second, it’s as if the man himself stands before you.
Musically, the show spans Jackson’s career from his youth in the Jackson 5 (‘ABC’, ‘Rockin’ Robin’ and ‘I Want You Back’); through his breakout solo material ‘Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough’, ‘Rock With You’; to his socio-political anthems (‘Earth Song’/‘Black Or White’) and world-conquering, chart-domineering singles: ‘Billie Jean’, ‘Smooth Criminal’ and, of course, ‘Thriller’.
With dazzling costumes by Shooting Flowers, evoking Jackson’s most iconic video and fashion moments (of which there are many) the audience’s attentions are upheld not only by vocal and physical skill, but visually arrested for the duration of the evening.
A 10-year run in London’s West End is no mean feat by any standard, and such achievement warrants a worthy celebration. Scanning the auditorium pre-show large groups could be seen mingling in the aisles, embracing and howling with laughter, barely able to contain their excitement. For many, this was not just an anniversary performance, it was a reunion.
And in turn, the individual performances pop with energy. With an atmosphere comparable to an opening night (for an infallibly well-rehearsed production), the vocalists sang with fresh meaning and gusto, and delivered their spoken interludes praising and lamenting Jackson’s genius and passing with deep sincerity and gratitude.
Over the first poignant chimes of ‘Man in the Mirror,’ singer/co-compere Haydon Eshun introduced to the stage Thriller’s ‘original Man #3’, musical theatre legend Ben Forster (Jesus Christ Superstar, Phantom of the Opera, Elf). To think Forster’s remarkable journey began in this same auditorium paying tribute to Jackson night after night inspires a sense of awe and intrigue as to where we may find these performers in years to come.
Casts old and new (including Layton Williams, taking over from John McCrea as Jamie New next door at the Apollo in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie) then flooded the stage for a triumphant rendition of ‘Black Or White.’
The evening rounded off with appearances from the show’s original creative team, including director/choreographer Gary Lloyd, producers Paul Walden and Derek Nicol and the mind that spawned it all, Adrian Grant.
After thanks and words from the formers, Grant took the audience on a retrospective of his relationship with Michael Jackson, starting as creator and editor of the star’s official UK ‘fanzine’ Off The Wall, his subsequent meetings and friendships with Jackson in the studio and at his fabled Neverland Ranch, and the journey Thriller Live has taken from its beginnings as a loving tribute to now honouring and sharing the memory of his greatest inspiration.
Those who discredit Thriller Live’s credentials do so to their own detriment. Any fan or otherwise seeking to rediscover ‘The Man in the Mirror’ will not be disappointed.
During the acknowledgements came a cry from the stalls: “10 MORE YEARS!”
Who knows how long Thriller Live will hold dominion at the Lyric, but the evening made this reviewer sure that the memory of Michael Jackson will remain moonwalking and high-kicking for a very, very long time.
Alex Chard
Tickets for Thriller Live are available HERE.
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