“We Just Log On and Dreams Appear…” We Will Rock You, Dominon Theatre, London. 22.05.2014

So having booked tickets for the FINAL battle of West End Eurovision 2014 for myself with Hayleigh we took an early morning trip to the City, on route to the hotel we detoured through Leister Square.  Last year for my birthday I was kindly given some TKS theatre vouchers from a friend, and today was the day I was going to use them (seeing as you can only use them there it seems, otherwise you have to go through the website but it isn’t guaranteed) but the TKS booth in Leister Square also comes with discounted seats!  I knew which production we were going to see before West End Eurovision it was a true given, having sadly heard of the news that it was to be closing the following week.

We Will Rock You plays a big part of my life having been my favourite musical since I saw it for the first time for my 13th birthday, little did my parents know how much I would love it.  I have since seen it 5 times, 4 in London and once while it was on tour. But tonight would be my last viewing at the Dominon Theatre (I have high hopes it will return one day!) and with tickets going for £35.50 for Row B of the Circleit was no argument that it would be that show we would be seeing and I was so excited!

We wondered around a quite warm London, checked into our hotel room, a bit of shopping and money well spent after some food at Pizza Express it was back to the Dominon Theatre to see my favourite show come to an end. The seats we had purchased were a great view, a little to the left, but being one of the biggest theatres in London its a good one for anywhere you seat your view will be fine. While seated waiting for the show to start I noticed that not many of the seats were being filled, and to our right there were empty seats scattered everywhere, I was so surprised as I truly believe this show is amazing and unique, but after Eleven years of rocking the Dominon I could see it had run its course…for now!  But with empty seats comes opportunities to theatre lovers so in the second act myself and Hayleigh sat ourselves in the centre of the circle row B to enjoy the finale of the show.

We Will Rock You is set in the future 2020 where all rock music has been banned and pop, computer created music runs the music charts, and the internet powers the word, and Killer Queen half human half cyber rules the world now called Globosoft with her followers and right hand man Commander Khassoggi.  The Kids are all the same wearing cyber clothes, and always up to date with the latest trends, and with it create Ga Ga Girls and Ga Ga Boys.  All except for one group hidden to protect there identity the Bohemians they are called, Killer Queen hates them and will do anything to stop they fulling their prophesy, or that one day a chosen one, a dreamer will fight back and lead the way to the place of living rock.

Galileo has always been an outsider, always hearing words, songs in his head, and not know why or what they mean.  Ga Ga kids are scared of him, and Khassoggi captures him, and plans to use him to his advantage on finding the Bohemians.  When Galileo awakes he also meets another outsider a girl, who goes against all the trends and makes her own fashion statements, the two bond and with it the Girl finds an anarchic name of Scaramouche. They run away together and on their travels they find two of the Bohemians Mrs Meatloaf and leading Man, Britney Spears (yes that’s right).  They acknowledge that Galileo knows the hidden text, and the songs of the past.  The two have completed their quest in finding their chosen one, and take Scaramouche and Galileo down to the Heartbreak Hotel, or Tottenham Court Road underground. The Bohemians tell the tales of Rock N Roll, how music was not computer generated and came from instruments and from the heart.  Galileo and Scaramouche feel finally that they are place where they belong, and agree to help the group on there Quest to save Rock and Roll.

But they are interrupted and Khassoggi and his men storm the Heartbreak Hotel (having placed a tracker on both Galileo and Scaramouche) and capture all the bohemians to go to the Seven Sea’s of Rhy, Britney however sacrifices himself enabling both Galileo and Scaramouche to escape and to continue on their quest to fulfil the return of Living Rock.

The two set off in ther journey and with it they discover they have fallen for each other, and with the support of them both they go to Lake Geneva, where the Bohemians are kept after they have been wiped of their memories. Galileo and Scaramouche then meet Pop, who informs them that he still remembers even though they tried to wipe his mind (which is one of the reasons he is the barman). He tells them a tale of a band, that once ruled the charts creating amazing rock music, played instruments and performed to the whole world.  It was that group that left behind a sign, a rock to help return music to its rightful way!

While at the bar, the Lake decends and water is being drained but with it reveals a statue, a statue of a member of Queen who died too young, and with it he points the way to the place of Living Rock…Wembley Stadium. Galileo, Scaramouche and Pop all travel by Harley to Wembley, and with it create music to reveal the Guitar of Brian May, and once played reunites Globosoft to Rock N Roll.

The story yes does come of a little cheesey, and I have had remarks in the past that its not a great one, however it isn’t the story being told, but the performance itself it brilliant! The music all from the amazing band Queen (with a few minor adjustments to some lyrics to suit the story) brought to life by some amazing actors and actresses, and allowing adults to relive their music, and young ones (which I was when I first saw it) to learn about them, and fall in love with the band as well.

The set is quite basic, with screens of computerised images, and games portrayed during any scene with Globosoft or Killer Queen, and then you have the amazing replica of the Tottenham Court Road underground.  But the simplistic set enabled the story to flow, but challenged the actors to fill the space, and they always succeeded.

I had seen the show a year before as when I was aware that Oliver Tompsett would be taking the role of Galileo, and after seeing him in Rock of Ages it was a given that I knew he would be amazing in the role. Since then the cast changes have been minor, and again I was seeing some of the same cast but some new faces also.

Tonights cast was as follows:

Galileo – Oliver Tompsett

Scaramouche – Catriana Sandison (2nd understudy)

Killer Queen – Brenda Williams

Khassoggi – Alasdair Harvey

Meat- Amanda Coutts

Britney-Rolan Bell

Pop-Kevin Kennedy

I won’t lie and say that I wasn’t disappointed I didn’t get to see Rachael Wooding perform Scaramouche one last time, having seen her also play the role of Meat the first time she was in the show, but beggers can’t be choosers, and I must admit I was just happy Oliver was on that night, and I got to see Brenda do her thing as Killer Queen as last time she was away and we had the understudy of Katie Paine, who was very good too may I just add.

Catriana Sandison was a lovely Scaramouche who was great at bringing the sarcastic, rebel to life, and have the audience roar with laughter at the amazing one liners, her voice was beautiful as well, and I can’t help but be jealous of her on the stage, as I have loved the role of Scaramouche, and have wished and prayed that maybe one day I maybe able to myself perform in that role, I mean I already know all the lines, songs, and sadly I do have a replica of a hand made Scaramouche Bohemian costume, completing it last year with the red cowboy boots! They are forever my Scaramouche boots!

I was excited to be seeing Brenda Williams, famous from being a X Factor finalist many years back, and I was aware that since then she has performed in a few shows on the West End, I believe she was Big Mama in Chicago for a short time, and I did hear good things regarding her performance, and acting. However I was more interested to see her perform because Killer Queen was created by black actress Sharon D Clarke, and it was nice to see again a black woman perform the role and have the attitude and presence that both of them could bring! Not to say that Mazz Murray who was my first Killer Queen wasn’t brilliant but you could see that as she was part of the original cast, and was the understudy before she was the main actress learnt by how Sharon performed. It was exciting to see her perform and although she competed on X Factor, you wouldn’t have thought it, but could see that the Theatre was where she should belong, not in the pop world, but its ironic being the theme of the show that hates X Factor and what it has done to the world of Music is what had made her famous in the first place! She was also lovely a the stage door later that night, and had a brief chat with her and an autograph signed, I told her my love for the show, and she said believe it I am sure one day you will be signing programmes!

Both Amanda Coutts and Rolan Bell were get as the Bohemian couple Britney and Meat, I always love when Britney does all this karate with his amazing Muscles, and Amanda gets to sing ‘No One But You’ which always brings a tear to my eye, reminding me of my Nana who passed away two years.  She sung it beautifully.

Khassoggi, and Pop played by Alasdair Harvey, and Kevin Kennedy, both who have been performing in the show for quite some time, its clear you can see why, both of them look like they have having a ball on stage, and have some great comedy moments that lighten the audiences mood, and have them roaring with laughter, got to love the M&S suit too!

When watching Oliver perform its clear that he is loving what he is doing, having seen him as Drew the year before, you could see how that role helped him create his portrayal of Galileo, and I could see small glimpse of Drew in some parts of the show, especially with the accent! But you can mostly tell why he loves playing this role, because of his voice, Oliver singing Queen is just brilliant and everytime he smiles you can see he never wants it to end, and I guess you can throw in some dance moves (which he says isn’t his fortay) in there too.  I will never get board with watching Oliver perform, and I’m just waiting for him to announce on Twitter what his next role will be soon on the West End! But for now it family life for him and I believe he is currently in White Christmas in Leeds. I had been tweeting him quite a bit that day, as I was excited about seeing him, and I was worried that as he would be performing in the West End Eurovision later that he may not appear at the stage door, so having tweeted him quite a bit, it was a Success later on, as even after twisting my ankle it walked out and asked “so who has been tweeting me then?” I couldn’t help but feel embarrassed when I raised my hand, but when he gave me a massive hug when I did, it was very worth it! He stood outside for a while to sign programmes and have pictures taken while having a chat with us, and after a few minutes we wished him luck in the show later that evening.

Sadly no one else showed their faces Alasdair did run past us, and we did see Brenda later after West End Eurovision, but I wasn’t too fussed I was just pleased I got to see Oliver.

So after that excitement it was time to move on to the next show of the night, so it was around to the front of the Dominon Theatre and to walk through the doors once again to sit down for another fun show filled with amazing performers and shows.

I was so happy that I got to see We Will Rock You before it closed as it holds such a big part of my heart, if you got to see it, then maybe you can understand, or maybe not either way it helped me through some hard times in the early teens and allowed me to escape every now and then, when listening to the soundtrack or reading the boo. Would you believe it also helped me past my drama A Levels in college, being that I was allowed to study it and analyse it for my exam!  Thank you to all the Actors and Actresses whom performed in it, and thanks to the Dominion Theatre for giving me so many great memories, its not the same walking past the theatre and not seeing the huge Freddie striking his pose. I can only Pray that it returns one day, and maybe it will be allowed to have its rights owned by Amateur dramatics rather than just schools too! You will be missed! and as they say Only the Good Die Young!