We Will Rock You - and they did

We Will Rock You

Birmingham Hippodrome, July 7, 2011

We Will Rock You, promises the title of the musical by Queen and Ben Elton – and at Birmingham's Hippodrome last night that pledge was fulfilled. Is it camp? Yes. Is it overblown? Yes. It's a musical set to the songs of Queen. Of course it is.

After a fairly subdued start, the production moves into high gear when huge hits fall over each other, with the likes of Under Pressure, A Kind Of Magic and Fat Bottomed Girls all present and correct.

Plaudits go particularly to Amanda Coutts, as Scaramouche, and Jenny Douglas, as Meat, whose powerful voices tackled each number that came their way with a style and ease that would have made the late, great Freddie Mercury proud.

Mention must be made, too, of lead actor Noel Sullivan, ably backed up by Mid Wales's Rhydian Roberts as Khashoggi, Ian Reddington of Casualty fame as Pop and Leon Lopez as Britney.

And last night there was a curtain-call appearance by Brian May, wielding his Red Special guitar like he was still a young guy in a Zandra Rhodes outfit.

This led to ecstasy in the aisles and a rapturous end to the night.

Take this show for what it is. A great, fun night out. Seriously, go and see it. It's a kind of magic.

David Burrows