THE MAGIC OF QUEEN

The Magic Of Queen - Saturday 7th June 2008 - Victoria Hall

THE SHOW HAS TO GO ON FOR ALL THESE FANS

The Magic Of Queen Victoria Hall, HanleyNINE months on from We Will Rock You at The Regent theatre, Stage Productions returned with a new selection of Queen's greatest hits.

But rather than featuring another improbable plot linking the various songs, The Magic Of Queen was entirely about the music itself, which, let's face it, is the sole reason why people go to shows like this.

And so the audience were treated to an energetic romp through Queen's back catalogue, taking in such major hits as Barcelona and A Kind Of Magic, but also including lesser known ballads such as Love Of My Life.

As if the music wasn't camp enough, the combination of Flashdance-esque choreography, stage pyrotechnics, a children's choir and a bizarre mishmash of costumes ensured an almost operatic aesthetic of which even Freddie Mercury would have been proud.

The campness reached a climax with a hilarious version of Flash, which featured the cast reciting lines from the film with as much gusto and deliberately hammy acting as they could muster.

Of the nine soloists who alternated throughout the two-hour show, the stand-outs were probably Laura Harvey and the kilt-clad James Dawe, whose duet on Too Much Love Will Kill You was genuinely spine-tingling.

Also deserving of a mention were guitarists David Birt and Fred Lawton, who were faultless in their interpretations of Brian May's classic solos.

By the end it was clear the audience were still hungry for more, and considering Queen's extensive collection of hits and the performers' obvious delight in singing them, it may be that the Show Must Go On once again.