My Week in London - Memphis the Musical (Review)

Last week I stayed in London and took the opportunity to see 3 shows in the West End I'd been wanting to see for ages, of which I have now reviewed to share my thoughts of them. The third show I saw was Memphis the Musical and without further ado here is my review!

Memphis the Musical (Thursday 30th July, 7:30pm)

The third and final that I saw last week was Memphis the Musical, the ‘Best Musical’ winner at the 2010 Tony Awards which arrived in the West End last October. And what a show to close my trip with! Memphis is a truly exuberant and engaging musical filled with exciting production numbers, catchy original songs and a truly outstanding cast, led by Beverley Knight and Matt Cardle.

Set in 1954 America where racial segregation and discrimination was still rife, the story revolves around the rise of black rock ‘n’ roll and R&B music thanks to white radio DJ, Huey Calhoun (Cardle) who exposes it to a mainstream audience and attempts to breach the divide. Despite the fun and numerous joyous numbers, book writer, Joe DiPietro still finds time for poignant and genuinely moving sequences that speak to the deep societal issues of this time period, whilst not feeling preachy or in-your-face.

The show’s main pairing and forbidden love between Huey and blues singer, Felicia Farrell (Knight) is brought to life beautifully by Cardle and Knight who have a great chemistry and provide the backbone to the show. Individually as performers, they are even better. Knight was just golden, knocking every number out of the park without breaking a sweat whilst bringing great personality and heart to Felicia. And Cardle in spite of having no acting experience is filled with charm and has impeccable comic timing as the goofy Huey while his “Memphis Lives In Me” brought the house down.

The supporting cast are just as good; Jason Pennycooke and Tyrone Huntley as Bobby and Gator are reliable sources of humour who sparkle throughout and nail their respective solo numbers, while Claire Machin and stand-in, Mark Carroll bring likability and complexity to Huey’s mother and radio head, Mr. Simmons. Rolan Bell is also hilarious as the biting and protective Delray and kicks the show off in style with his bluesy vocals in the infectious song “Underground”.

It speaks to the strength of David Bryan’s music that Memphis was the only show I left wanting to buy the cast recording for. Every R&B-tinged or rock ‘n’ roll tinged number sounds authentic to the era and is unspeakably catchy (and are made even stronger by the sharp direction and vibrant choreography delivered by the talented ensemble). Several show-stopping ballad numbers – including the previously mentioned “Memphis Lives in Me” and “Coloured Woman” (delivered to perfection by Knight I might add) – round out the score and add the essential emotion to the show.

So all I have left to say is, you need to go catch Memphis before it closes in October.  It is filled with humour, heart and unmissable performances that deserve to be seen and applauded for years to come. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to see one of the best shows currently in the West End!

★★★★½

If you haven't already check out my Billy Elliot review and my Miss Saigon review. Thanks for reading!