REIVEW: THE BOWIE SHOW Nationwide Tour 24th Jan - 11th Feb 2024

'an audio-visual mixed bag, good in parts' ★★ 1/2

The ground-breaking, maverick genius, David Bowie went permanently into orbit in 2016 leaving behind a powerful and enduring musical legacy. Since then, numerous homages and tributes have showered upon us. From biographical documentaries on Sky Arts to the more abstract, imaginative feature documentary, Moonage Daydream (2022) by Brett Morgen and an immersive David Bowie Experience. The latest addition to this commodification and memorialisation is The Bowie Show, described as ‘a tribute to the life and work of David Bowie.’  With its opening night at Golders Green Hippodrome in the bag, it’s set for a UK tour returning to London’s Lyric Theatre on Feb 10, 2025.

The Bowie Show is an all-singing, all-dancing tribute concert which pulls together twenty-seven of the artist’s greatest hits across two hours and forty-five minutes with an interval.  It spans Space Oddity to Lazarus; a gender-bending, audio-visual Good Old Days, that belts out song after song with a sizable cast of talented singers, dancers, and musicians. With a five-piece band frontstage and trio of lead singers who medley their hearts out, the experience is something like being Bowie-bombed. Or as though Bowie’s back catalogue has been pushed into a popcorn machine and Pop! Pop! Pop! out comes hit after hit, complete with elaborate costumes and sometimes breath-taking video backdrops.

Some of the singing and interpretations are impressive, notably Changes, The Jean Genie and Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide. The numbers worked best when there was an interpretation, an embodying of the lyrics. Some tracks felt a little like Bowie-oke and fell somewhat flat, although this might have had something to do with sound levels. While some dancing is imaginatively choreographed, others recalled Pans People or Legs & Co, circa 1974, the gestures offering a kind of physical subtitles to the lyrics. One can’t help but wonder if those from a musical theatre background might have fared better and given rounder performances of the songs.

On the bright side, the wild and crazy syncopated dance by Jordan Boury in Jean Genie was fantastic. Complete in platform boots this display of enormous energy and personality was the first track to draw the audience wholly into the music. Tonally very different but equally transportive was the introspective, melodious meditation on time and solitude in Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide which features dancer Emma Holt and starts, “Time takes a cigarette, puts it in your mouth.” The curls and ringlets of cigarette smoke were used as a visual motif on the big screens to create abstract images and a striking backdrop to this rousing song which builds into an all-encompassing chorus of ‘you’re not alone’ and ‘give me your hands’.

At certain points, we hear the voice of David Bowie who speaks directly to the audience, a deeply moving sound, as though he were still among us and it’s a shame there weren’t a few less songs and a bit more unfiltered Bowie; more philosophy and thoughts from the incredible talent who gifted all this music to the world. It could have given a beautiful thread to the show. ”Life is fantastic, it never changes….We are all architects of our own destiny.” More musings and maxims from the man, might have made up for the fact, there was no introduction, no one person to carry it and other than a loose chronology, no narrative through-line to thread it all together.

Pre-digested, cut into bite-sized chunks, commercial, and variable, the Bowie Show is a clap-along, foot tapping experience. Don’t go expecting anything dark, obscure or too leftfield. This show is not for seasoned Bowie aficionados or purists, but perhaps, younger fans who discovered him after death and want to experience a live show. Or older fans who want to understand what the fuss was all about. Or perhaps entire families who want a day out in the Bowie stratosphere.

The visual backdrops by Billy Gwilliam, brother of Creative Director, Simon Gwilliam, were at times impressive and engulfing, drawing inspiration from a wealth of artists and art movements, some inspired by Kenneth Anger and Jean Michel Basquiat, they gave context to songs stripped from their original meaning, a kind of visual mood board to frame the singers and dancing. If this were a puzzle, The Bowie Show, not authorised or endorsed by Bowie’s estate, successors, or licences, is good in parts but there are some key pieces missing from the jigsaw. Hopefully, the show will continue to refine and evolve as it tours the country.

THE BOWIE SHOW

Created & Directed by Simon Gwilliam
Produced by John Dalston and Simon Gwilliam

Tour venues and dates:

THE BOWIE SHOW
2025 TOUR DATES

Friday 24 January
& Saturday 25 January
at 7.30pm
LONDON
Hippodrome Golders Green
North End Road,
London NW11 7RP

Monday 27 January
at 7.30pm
NOTTINGHAM
Nottingham Concert Hall

Tuesday 28 January
at 7.30pm
BUXTON
Buxton Opera House

Wednesday 29 January
at 7.30pm
GLASGOW
Glasgow Pavilion

Saturday 1 February
at 7.30pm
BATH
Bath Forum

Sunday 2 February
at 7.30pm
BOURNEMOUTH
Bournemouth Pavilion

Monday 3 February
at 7,30pm
LEICESTER
De Montford Hall

Tuesday 4 February
at 7.30pm
NORTHAMPTON
Derngate

Monday 10 February
at 7.30pm
LONDON
Lyric Theatre
Shaftesbury Avenue

CAST

Greg Oliver (vocalist) is a singer/songwriter trained at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. Whilst working as an actor, he has also written and released music under various aliases across multiple genres.

Elliot Rose (vocalist) is a singer/songwriter and graduate from BIMM with a triple octave range.
Originally a solo artist, he released his first album in 2018. He has also performed as a Freddie Mercury tribute artist across the country to critical acclaim.

Sian Crowe (vocalist) is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne. More recently, she has starred in City of Angels, 50 Shades! The Musical Parody as Anastasia Steel and Legally Blonde as Kate.

Sophie Quay (choreographer/dancer) is a choreographer, movement director and dancer from
Sydney, Australia. She studied at KRS Dance and Ev & Bow Full Time Dance Training Centre. Sophie’s stage credits include choreographing for Ministry of Sound x Ballet Nights, Counterpoint, Insomnia, Sample Predator, Cinderella, Icarus, AITU, Tendency, Domus and First Light. She performed in the Saudi Games opening ceremony, has appeared in commercials for SONY Music, music videos for Jessica Spahr and Ebony Claire, been a part of R&D for shows and was the choreographer and lead in the short film Somnium.

Rebecca Cronin (dancer) is a second year Musical Theatre student at Falmouth University and is making her professional debut as a dancer in this show.

Elisha Roselynn (dancer) is making her professional debut after graduating from PPA last year! She performed in the original Bowie show, so has been a part of the The Bowie Show family for years. She is thrilled to be getting her 70’s funk on.

Yanki Yau (dancer) was born and raised in Hong Kong. Yanki is trained in a wide range of movement styles from contemporary dance to martial arts.

Emma Holt (dancer) is a graduate from Trinity Laban Conservatoire, Emma has performed in the West End musical Cabaret, The Brit Awards for Ellie Goulding and Calvin Harris and in TV shows
Bridgerton and The Witcher. She is also a stunt performer having recently stunt doubled for Emma Stone.

Macy Page (dancer) graduated from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. Her credits include the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, Fame UK Reunion: 40th Anniversary, Jack & The Beanstalk and JD sports’ ‘Forward Forever’. Recently, she performed in the Tina the Rock Legend tour.

Jaden Wilkinson (dancer) graduated from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts having previously attended The BRIT School. He has performed for Mabel at the BRIT Awards, the Eurovision Opening Ceremony, Zara Larsson, the Boomtown Opening Ceremony and One Young World at the Royal Albert Hall. He has also worked on commercials such as Timberland.

Jordan Boury (dancer) is a French performer, choreographer and teacher. He has travelled the world and worked for Jean Paul Gaultier, Mugler, Sam Smith, Vogue on stage, TV, music videos, companies and more.


Musicians:
Alex Turney (musical director/keys)
Billy Stookes (drummer)
Damon Oliver (saxophone)
Laura Browne (guitar)
Dave Rice (bass)