Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Cast: Liam Neeson, Michael Praed, Madalena Alberto, Jimmy Nail, Heide Range, Daniel Bedingfield, David Essex, Jerry Wayne, Will Barratt, Ethan Bradshaw, Charlie Bell, Antony Hansen, Matt Holland, Tash Holway, Chris Jenkins, Grace McKee, Jack Mitchell, Marios Nicolaidos, Simon Shorten, Jodie Steele.
The music is still the same, the feeling of beauty, of enormity unchanged from its conception and aside from the last arena tour, more than able to bring a tear to the eye of anyone who has taken Jeff Wayne’s musical War of the Worlds to their hearts; yet as the production enters a new phase of performance, the dynamic has shifted, it now resonates with a feeling of positive creativity and the truth of theatre, that all should be able to see the actors reactions to the immensity, the scale of the music on offer.
The sanctity of London’s Dominion Theatre, the opulence on offer inside and the history that resides within its space after hosting We Will Rock You there, all trembled within its wake as one of the most sincere and definitive albums of the 1970s and certainly of the last 50 years truly came back to its rightful place, the close comfort of a theatrical setting and the exposure of music which can be lost in a vast setting but which in a theatre sounded fresh, exciting and comfortably bruising.
Full circles are there for a reason, they offer a sense of completion, a signifying act of unity to the past and the present and as the Dominion Theatre crowd settled in for the world of H. G. Wells, the dynamic musical interpretation of one of English literature great novels, the thought of the album’s release would have played heavily in their minds, the loss of Richard Burton and Phil Lynott marking the date of a theatre appearance heavy and reflective; it was a reflection that boosted by the return of David Essex to the production for the first time since playing the part of The Artillery Man on record.
Time moves on, people change, but as the audience was greeted by the sight of Jeff Wayne conducting the Black Smoke Band with incredible pomp and occasion, David Essex beautifully singing the part of the Voice of Humanity and Jimmy Nail as Parson Nathanial catching the theatre crowd’s expectation with highly prized skill, songs such as the golden edged Forever Autumn, the stirring Thunder Child and Brave New World all captured the essence of the production with near perfect clarity.
The day of the arena show may have finally been done with, but to bring home the absolute special place that this album holds, how sensational a theatre show it can be, it deserves to tour beyond the confines of the West End; Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of War Of The Worlds is restored to its former glory and one that in the possible short time at the Dominion is required viewing, splendid and ear catching.
Ian D. Hall