West End Weekend: Kerry Ellis Live – Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

West End Weekend: Kerry Ellis Live was performed at the Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

With a career spanning more than 25 years on our stages, Kerry Ellis is one of the industry’s most successful and accomplished performers. With a CV that ranges from My Fair Lady to We Will Rock You, from Wicked to Les Misérables, Ellis has proven herself to be an astonishing vocalist, a versatile actress, and a thrilling dancer as she proved with her leading turn in Anything Goes. As part of Birmingham’s West End Weekend, Ellis took to the stage of the Old Joint Stock Theatre for a series of intimate performances which looked back at her remarkable career.

Presented in a hosted interview format, Ellis was full of warm charm and cheeky wit, all infused with a clear love for what she does, and heaps of humour delivered with that fabulous cackle of hers. Full of stories, she took us back to her roots of performing as a child, training at Laine Theatre Arts, through to her professional debut and ultimately conquering the West End and Broadway, as well as touring the world and becoming mates with Brian May on the way.

The Old Joint Stock’s intimate space worked brilliantly for this performance, bringing the audience up close and personal and making for a wonderfully connected evening. Ellis performed a selection of classic songs, including a mashup of ‘I Could Have Danced All Night’ and ‘On the Street Where You Live’ from My Fair Lady, beautiful renditions of ‘Over the Rainbow’ and ‘Defying Gravity’ from the merry old land of Oz (the latter in a beautiful new stripped-back arrangement), and of course some Queen with ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ and ‘Somebody To Love’. Making everything appear effortless, Ellis’ voice soared, a glorious mix of belting and smooth softness, and with a quarter-century of practice behind it, this era really sees Ellis’ voice at its peak.

While the performances were faultless, the balance between the interviewing and the songs swayed heavily towards the former, and although Ellis remained a thoroughly engaging subject throughout, fans may well have wanted fewer questions and a few more songs, with only six performed (although the concert also featured a performance from a local musical theatre student which was well delivered). Regular Ellis fans will also have heard her sing these choices before, and the evening would have benefited from some more unusual songs mixed in with the reliable standards.

Ellis is absolutely a talent worth celebrating, and these West End Weekend concerts were a wonderful showcase of her personality and work ethic, but they could have allowed the five-star leading lady more of a chance to show off those incredible vocals that we know and love.

Rob Bartley

Kerry Ellis embarks on a solo UK tour from 17 September 2025.

The actress and singer is also scheduled to appear in the Gravity concert at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane alongside Rachel Tucker and Louise Dearman on 31 August 2025.