It is 20 years since Queen musical We Will Rock You first blasted onto the stage - and despite an initial mauling from the critics, swiftly won the hearts of the ticket-paying public. It has gone on to become one of the best-loved theatre extravaganzas of modern times, playing to millions of fans across the globe.
And now it's back here in Manchester at the Palace Theatre, on a new 20th anniversary run directed by the show's writer, comedy icon Ben Elton. With 24 of rock legends Queen's biggest hits sound-tracking the thing you know you're in for a foot stomping, fist pumping kind of night.
For those of us who have seen it before, there are some new additions to the show, with new pertinent satirical jokes from Elton as well as the inclusion of a couple of extra Queen songs in the mix too.
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The setting for the action is a dystopian future where we're informed "The X Factor" has killed all rock music, and individuality and imagination is forbidden on what is now an ‘iplanet’ run by GlobalSoft.
It’s a future where humans have user IDs not names, but our young hero, Galileo Figaro, insists on his moniker and is soon under suspicion from the authorities for showing a ‘bohemian’ spirit.
On opening night here in Manchester Galileo was played by alternate lead Damien Walsh, who is an amiable dreamer opposite Elena Skye as his Scaramouche who swiftly wins over the crowd with her incredible vocals, particularly on her duet with Galileo on Under Pressure.
Classic Queen songs are liberally shoe-horned into the plot, for example reprobates are threatened with a spell in the Seven Seas Of Rhye, while their comeuppance is via a blast of "Flash". It's all wildly silly, but delivered with gusto and in splendid futuristic sets with a madcap cast of "bohemian" characters including Michael McKell as ageing rocker Cliff - played with a nice bit of Billy Idol swagger.
Naturally, the villain of the piece is Killer Queen, in this production given a sort of burlesque-dominatrix twist by Jenny O'Leary in shrill and fierce form. She gets some of the best moments of the night - a seriously sassy Fat Bottomed Girls complete with kinky male and female dancers, and a blistering Another One Bites the Dust as she dispatches her henchman Khashoggi (Adam Strong).
Special mention too for Martina Ciabatti Mennell as Meat, who despite her petite stature more than matched her Meatloaf namesake with some truly belting rock vocals.
The music ultimately remains the star of this show with the blistering songbook of Queen played out by a live band nestled at the top of the stage. But it is never more magical than when we get the vocals of the late, great Queen star Freddie Mercury ringing out - showing us all how it's done.
The show hurtles to it's rather silly finale at the gates of a crumbled Wembley Stadium where Galileo sings out from the ground and we all get to sing along to We Will Rock You and We are The Champions.
It all ends with the crowd leaping to their feet as a video asks "do you want Bohemian Rhapsody?" to which there could only ever be one answer. Although it didn't seem entirely rock 'n' roll for theatre staff to make everyone sit down for the return of the ensemble for this performance.
But naturally by the time the "mama mias" kicked in there was no stopping the Manchester crowds leaping back to their feet. It ensures the show will play out once again here in Manchester to feelgood finales every night this week - and who would bet against another 20 years of performances to come?
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