If you like fantastic singers accompanied by a great band then the Showbiz Christchurch production of We Will Rock You is a fantastic night out.

THE LEAD PAIRINGS work wonderfully together. Caleb Jago-Ward (Galileo) & Jane Leonard (Scaramouche) vocally nail every number and bring a romantic coming of age vibe to every scene. Catherine Hay (Oz) and Tom Hart (Brit) are the Sid & Nancy of the piece. There’s huge energy and plenty of laughs in everything they do. Catherine’s vocal talent shines in the lesser known number of the show No One But You. As for Naomi Ferguson (Killer Queen) & Jack Fraser (Khashoggi), they certainly would’ve needed toothpicks on standby after chewing up the scenery in their respective Villain / Henchmen roles.

THE WWRY BAND are some of the best musicians in Christchurch, led by the able hand of Musical Director Richard Marrett. It took them a little while to really get going. But once the second act kicked in, they were off and playing up a storm.

THE BOOK has been much derided in the various interviews I’ve done in the lead-up to the show. But as it was written back in the early noughties before Facebook & Instagram, Ben Elton did the best he could to link the Queen back catalogue into a cohesive narrative with more than a few hilarious one-liners, most delivered by Aaron Boyce in the aging rocker character of Buddy.

IN CONCLUSION This is not Queen. Nor is this a Queen Tribute. This is a great night out to enjoy the music of a band who changed the face of music throughout our teenage nights and still do to this day. The opening night audience loved it and you could tell, as renditions of I Want To Break Free filled the car park on the way home.  Showbiz Christchurch again deliver a musical that anyone can enjoy no matter where you do your musical shopping.

Photo Credit – Danielle Colvin Photography and Showbiz Christchurch