There is talent in the provinces. We Will Rock You TSB Theatre New Plymouth 8 Jun 2023 🌟🌟🌟🌟

What an entertaining night that was. Let’s be honest, we go to shows like this for the music, not the story. Can’t say there are many juke-box musicals where the story is particularly strong.

This one isn’t a bad attempt at making the music fit the storyline and by the end none of us cared. The set is very good, especially the Hard Rock cafe, with some intricate pieces like the Killer Queens throne. There are a couple of slow set changes that kill the mood slightly where we are left in the dark waiting for the next scene to begin. Of all the shows I’ve seen recently, I’ve not noticed that lag in changes. As you would expect, the sound was louder than normal, not too loud for me, just perfectly set for a rock musical. Big credit to the sound team, they didn’t miss a beat all night. Lighting again was assured and there is quite a lot of tech lighting required with lasers, all handled well. It’s hard to believe such talent exists in a small city, but overall the cast were excellent. There were certainly three stand outs for me, Danica Manson as Scaramouche and Krystal Leuthard as Oz for their incredible vocals and Shaun Campbell for his portrayal of Buddy. I’ve seen this show before and it was as if the script had been completely changed, such was Shaun’s characterisation of the aging rocker. Danicas acting and timing were also exceptional. William Deane as Galileo was solid and did a good job in what is a very challenging sing, same to be said for Elicia-May Hitchcock as the Killer Queen. Some notes were at the edge of her range but when she was in her vocal fun zone, was powerful.

The ensemble as a whole were absolute stars as well with precise dance moves and great singing.

Overall, this was a crowd pleaser and the audience absolutely lapped it up. 24 hours later, I’m still humming some of the songs. That was my first New Plymouth show, it won’t be the last