Ben Elton’s We will Rock You is back—this time starring Ben Elton.
It’s almost a decade since this once-slated jukebox musical closed at the Dominion Theatre. For many, the time had not come soon enough for this celebration of Queen anthems and the songs of the great Freddie Mercury. Roll on nine years, a few tweaks to the script, a change of venue and the introduction of some stardust and it’s reborn—this time at the much bigger Coliseum.
Back then, the plot was hugely criticised for being ridiculous and lacklustre. That's certainly not changed, but the dawn of artificial intelligence taking over huge aspects of all our lives is becoming more of a reality—so for that reason alone, the storyline is less far-fetched than it has ever been.
Earth—or should we say iPlanet—has been taken over by Killer Queen and Khashoggi, who want to eradicate all signs of real music. Fighting to save the songs of the past is a grungy group of rock ’n’ rollers called the Bohemians made up of people you'd probably describe as half-stoned, half-homeless, lovable layabouts. It's not looking good, but, like every good panto-style show, a happy ending will surely prevail.
With so much at stake and a wealth of iconic Queen classics to choose from, you'd think the show would open with one almighty bang. Unfortunately not. Instead, after a bit of music to wet our appetite, this 'musical' gets underway with an empty stage and a brief and totally pointless monologue from Ben Elton in his stage acting debut as the Rebel Leader. This instant mood killer is short-sighted at best—and perhaps self-indulgent of Elton, who is also directing. The cast work hard to build momentum and at times they get there, but there’s a continuous lack of collective energy, leaving the show flat, bland and awkward.
The stardust I mentioned earlier is, of course, Brenda Edwards as Killer Queen and Lee Mead as Khashoggi. She is a feisty, aggressive force of nature and is more than capable of being able to hold a note. Her rendition of "Killer Queen" and some of the other big ballads are all epic and out of this world. Unfortunately, I struggled to hear her when she spoke—either the sound was muffled or she was mumbling. Both Edwards and Lee are true villains of the show and both nail what they came to do.
Elton as Rebel Leader is like the old grandpa of the Bohemians—they're to ensure calm and order in their quest to save the music. Elton would probably concede he's no singer, and that's evident in his attempt at a solo number which, to be fair, I think he just about gets away with. Perhaps Elton has taken on too much as Rebel Leader and actual leader of this massive West End production.
The stage and costumes have all the quality and glitz of a big West End production and none of that goes unnoticed. The glittery power-suits worn by Edwards contrast perfectly with the Bohemians less-than-worthy attire. The battered and ripped jeans, fishnets and tartan all create a coherent style and a certain chic that is perfectly within keeping for the dirty underworld in which they live.
Despite knowing and hating the storyline, this production has the benefit of some of the biggest songs ever released and, due to that saving grace, there's more than enough reasons to rock on down to the Coliseum for a night of Queen classics. It doesn't really matter the performance feels unpolished and unloved; it's simply a chance to hear, celebrate and reminisce with some fabulous songs being belted out by some of the best in the business.
Some will say Elton is brave to bring the show back; others may say he's stupid, but because its only for a limited run of 12 weeks, I think on this occasion he'll get away with it being a totally successful run. Just don't contemplate on extending!