THRILLER LIVE

A review by Tanya Howard

Last week Thriller Live celebrated its 10^th birthday at Lyric Theatre with a special anniversary performance, welcoming back some of the original cast members to join the current company on stage. Along with the atmosphere of a family reunion, as Ben Forster, Layton Williams and many more took to the stage Thriller Live has all the makings for a nostalgic throwback party.

Thriller Live is a two hour show, consisting of Michael Jackson’s biggest hits, and whether you were a die-hard fan or not this show is one to be enjoyed by all. With such an incredible atmosphere, the incredible choreography, singing and dancing ability that graces the stage you can’t deny that Michael Jackson had a massive impact in the world of music.

It’s been almost 10 years since Michael Jackson passed, yet he still sells millions of records to this day and Thriller Live helps to keep his legacy alive. Alongside the West End show they have embarked on not only a sell-out UK arena tour but a world tour as well. They have played over 5000 show globally to over 4 million fans, visited over 30 countries and entered the West End record books with their residency being the longest at Lyric Theatre and the 16^th longest musical in all of the West End.

The cast had an incredible energy and the choreography embodied the spirit of Michael, including signature moves like the moonwalk and the anti-gravity lean amid fierce routines. Some of my highlights were ‘ABC’, performed on the night by Jay-Jay Prince who shares the role with two other children, ‘Can You Feel It’, ‘Smooth Criminal’ and my personal favourite MJ song ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’.

Each song has a tangible storyline or theme, some based on the videos released for the song, but the set is kept simple and visual effects are used more to make an impact. With the outstanding talent on stage and the costumes used this is the perfect set up though, as it keeps the focus on the legend of Michael and the performance from the singers and dancers.

The singing is split between four main vocalists, including David Julien from The Voice and Haydon Eshun from 90s boyband Ultimate KAOS. The entire cast totals around 30 members but I have to say two of my favourites from the night were dancers Mari Macleod and Leona Lawrenson. They were full of energy and are incredible dancers and really threw themselves into every character.

I had forgotten just how much I loved Michael Jackson’s songs and just how many he actually released from being in the Jackson Five to being a force to be reckoned with as a solo artist. I would definitely recommend Thriller Live to anyone looking for a fun night out, who loves an energetic show filled with songs you can sing along to.