After celebrating 10 years of success on the London’s West End, Thriller Live begins its UK tour at The Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury this week. A two hour concert, Thriller Live is filled with Michael Jackson’s top hits spanning his 45 year musical history.
I’m a little apprehensive about watching Thriller Live. I’ve heard mixed reviews from friends and colleagues, so have limited expectations. I shouldn’t have worried. I thoroughly enjoyed the show, from start to finish – singing and dancing in my seat.
Thriller Live is a two hour concert (of sorts) dedicated to Michael Jackson’s incredible music history. From his Jackson Five days, to his Thriller and Bad albums – there are songs for everyone. My particular favourites are Dirty Diana, They Don’t Care About Us and Thriller.
Four vocalists take us through the years, singing their hearts out to all of the classics. Trace Kennedy is fantastic – his charisma and talent shines through from the start when he introduces himself to the audience. Rory Taylor is the stand out vocalist for me, his rendition of She’s Out of My Life is beautiful. I am in awe of his vocal talent.
The band are incredible. It is great that they stepp out onto the stage to take some well deserved glory from the audience. The guitar solo in Beat It is amazing – if you close your eyes, you could be listening to the original track.
The choreography is also spot on. The dancers have a great chemistry and give a strong, energetic and engaging performance. Ella Goodwin (Dancer) comes alive on stage. Every single time she performs I am completely drawn to her – she has skill, precision, energy and attitude in abundance. She really captures each song and style of the choreography perfectly.
The vocalists manage to keep the show lighthearted with their interaction. At one point they get the entire audience on their feet – dancing and singing along to Shake Your Body. It is a good atmosphere, that brings people from many different cultures and backgrounds together, to celebrate Michael Jackson’s music career.
I smile, sing, tap my feet and dance in my seat throughout the entire performance. It is a fun-filled two hours of non-stop classics. I love that the focus is on the music, as opposed to Jackson’s life. A fun, feel-good show that has most of the audience singing and dancing. 4/5
Review written by Stacie Pollard.
Thriller Live was shown on Wednesday 26th September 2018 at the Marlowe Theatre. For more information on the show and UK tour, visit here…
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