'We Will Rock You' - A West End love letter to the music that shaped our lives

‘We Will Rock You’, the now infamous rock musical written by Ben Elton and set to the soundtrack of Queen, is now entering its 11^th year in the West End. This is a big achievement, and there is a reason why this show has staying power.

‘We Will Rock You’ is set in the future where our lives are lived online and all music is electronically made. A small group of ‘Bohemians’ are trying to find ‘The Dreamer’, the one who dreams in lyrics and sound. ‘The Dreamer’ who will bring back real music to the world. But their quest is blighted by the ‘Killer Queen’ and Commander Khashoggi , who are on a mission to ensure musical instruments remain forbidden.

Unlike some other jukebox musical ‘We Will Rock You’ has a story that is strong enough to stand up to the legendary sounds of Queen. It also brings an exciting concert vibe into the West End.

‘We Will Rock You’ is a love letter to the music that shaped our lives, narrated by Queen tracks. The show had incredible foresight when it was created all those years ago into how the digital sphere would impact on our lives. Listening to the charts these days you will hear a lot of electronically produced music and some may say the artistry of making music is losing its prominence. ‘WWRY’ ignites the audience with a passion for ‘real’ music and is a reminder of not only how Queen are one of the best bands to have come out of the UK, but also the power of music as a whole.

The stage looks dystopian, depressing and sparse. It gives a great sense of the mundanely of life lived without live music and without connection to other people. The costumes are incredible and really show off the characters personalities. The costumes also create  some hilarious surprises!

There are impressive uses of the set which allow the audience to get up close and personal with the action with one particularly wowing moment that will stay with audiences long after they leave. ‘WWRY’ also stays totally current with all of the references in the show being occasionally updated making the show totally relevant to the audiences. Plus it means if you visit the show more than once chances are you may have new jokes and references which keeps the script fresh.

The cast are really wonderful and a mention must go to the incredible live band. There are some awesome singers that leave the hair on the back of your neck standing up! Oliver Tompsett (Galileo), Rachel John (Meatloaf) and Brenda Edwards (Killer Queen) gives outstanding performances. One stand out moment in the show is ‘Who Wants To Live Forever’ which gave me goosebumps.

‘WWRY’ is not just a celebration of Queen but of all the great musicians which really makes the show so much more powerful. There is a beautiful moment where the cast list a name of musicians that changed music who are no longer with us before ‘Only The Good Die Young’ is performed. It is such a touching moment and a beautiful tribute. ‘WWRY’ highlights the power of music and the deep connection people feel to it.

Once the big Queen hits start coming there is an incredible atmosphere in the theatre. By the end of the show everyone is one their feet singing and dancing along. Queen were a band that changed music and are loved globally. ‘We Will Rock You’ celebrates this.

 For all the music lovers out there ‘We Will Rock You’ is rockin’ out at the Dominion Theatre.