We Will Rock You - U.K. Tour

That sounds like a great idea for this show tour it then bring it to the west end

At the moment, everything is a cheapened version of the original, a minimal cast or a concert production. I don't think we'll be able to escape that for at least six months if we want to have live theatre to enjoy (and to keep people in work).

There is no way this production deserves a West End run. It doesn't even deserve a tour. It is very mediocre (and that's me feeling in a polite mood today)

Whatever the artistic merits, it's a show almost guaranteed to attract full houses at every venue, as was happening pre-lockdown. Theatres will need crowd-pleasers more than ever.

I had only vague memories of the original when I (twice) saw the new We Will Rock You and was thoroughly entertained throughout. Audience reaction certainly near me was wildly enthusiastic.

The fact that it fits into that theatre in Torquay vs what was onstage at the Dominion makes it a no for me.

Rumour is the ‘new’ set that was originally used on the 2019/2020 tour is licensed somewhere else this year so the original set and costumes are returning for the second/postponed leg this year.

I went to York to see this yesterday afternoon, and it was amazing! I want to quit my job and follow this tour for the rest of the year!!!

I've seen this over 50 times previously, but not since 2014. (There's only one other show I've seen more than this.) It is mostly the same, some lines in the script have been updated, as often happened anyway, and there are two references to covid, which I think worked well. They still have the screens at the back of the stage.

Onto the big changes (stop reading now if you don't want any spoilers) ... Play the Game has been cut, which I was a bit disappointed with as I do like that song, but what they've replaced it with makes it very much worthwhile! At the end of act 1, just before the battle, Khashoggi takes Killer Queen to the Heartbreak Hotel, and she sings The Show Must Go On. It's a great end to the first half. Also, they've extended Don't Stop Me Now, with Galileo and Scaramouche joining in (they appear at the top of the stage, so aren't in the same scene as Khashoggi and KQ, the song alternates between them).

Pop and the Rebel Leader are now the same character. I can understand why they've done this as it gives the character more to do, and saves on one salary, but it does confuse the storyline a bit in my opinion. In the second half, Galileo and Scaramouche ask him how he survived being processed by KQ, which at first he doesn't know, but then they come up with a plausible explanation. The Heartbreak Hotel is now at the Seven Seas, and they introduce the bar, television and video tape in the first half. (I thought it was possible they could have finished show almost at this point, obviously I was very relieved they didn't!) So in the second half when Galileo gets his inspiration to go to the Seven Seas, they acknowledge they are just going back there - this is less effective in my opinion, but I suppose if they went elsewhere they would have to explain how Pop the Rebel Leader (who is called Sir Cliff Richard) ended up there as well.

My current theatre attire, regardless of what show I'm seeing, is my The Show Must Go On T-Shirt, which now feels even more appropriate given they've added this song in. Next time I go, I hope the weather is a bit warmer (it snowed heavily on us yesterday as I was walking round York looking for a food place that was still open) and I can wear my hoodie.

It was a great afternoon, everyone was on their feet pretty much as Champions ended. And I might have cried all the way through Rhapsody, I was very emotional after finally having a big day out at the theatre (I'd only been back to local theatres before now). I wasn't sure if we're allowed to Stage Door at the moment, but as York's SD is right next to one of the main exits, a few of us hung around and the cast were happy to stop for a chat on their way out.

It’s also the show that I’ve seen more than any, probs 70-100, but I didn’t count 😅. But I haven’t seen it since maybe 2006. I’m quite intrigued to see this tour now!

Is there anyone here that we’re on the original WWRY message boards back in the day?

I’m considering picking up a last minute single when it comes to Bristol. The book is still laughably, diabolically awful but the music & vocal performances have always been consistently good. I’ll give it a go.

So before the interval it goes
Only the good die young, crazy little thing called love and then TSMGO?

That’s right. CLTCL ends, Khashoggi enters, then Killer Queen follows him. After a bit of dialogue TSMGO starts to round off act 1.