Thriller Live

There’s little point denying that this staged concert of Michael Jackson’s music is an all singing all dancing musical explosion, and for an audience made up almost entirely of fans it is a huge success, whipping them into a frenzy of disco delight. I too got caught up in what was the music of my youth, and on that level I loved it. The cast are superb, great singing and dancing from all and it even looks better than when I saw it first time round, tighter and slicker. So why does this review sound so guarded? I guess it’s because as theatre there is something lacking and that lack is any sense of real drama. With Jackson’s life being what it was, an avalanche of scandal and acclaim it seems a pity that all we get are a few clumsy speeches saying how good he was and nothing to cover the terrible tragedy that his life became.

Theatre Royal Brighton, 3 February 2014

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