If you love Cher's music then you will probably have a brilliant night out at this show, and why not, Cher's back catalogue is so fabulous and her personal story is fascinating. For me, however, this simply didn't work as a stage show. It is not a tribute show, which I would have loved, but it is too episodic and superficial to work as a biopic musical.
We are presented with three Chers, the young, naive one finding her feet in the industry, the middle career one, and finally the "current" one. These three, interact to tell their own story and support each other through their hard times. Cher's life is told though many short scenes, each with a year indicated on set, as she moves between rise and (financial) fall and between partners and husbands. There are, however, simply too many of these and they are each too short, and played too fast, for us to really buy in to the characters and to empathise with their journey.
Performances, especially those of the hard working ensemble, are excellent but just as I was getting in to a song we'd be moved on.
Your mileage may vary but for me this was an unsatisfactory performance of some great songs that didn't really let me into Cher's life.
The winner of the Society for Theatre Research Theatre Book Prize 2022 has been announced
The Society for Theatre Research reveals the shortlist for the Theatre Book Prize 2022.
Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage launches its Video on Demand platform with Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Curated by Carlos
To coincide with World Storytelling Day, Theatre Company launches online resource for young children to access original Welsh language stories.