I happened to be in the City of Culture – Bradford – so it only felt right to venture out and catch some theatre. I found myself at the Bradford Playhouse for an amateur production of We Will Rock You.
Before the show, I gathered in the bar with other audience members until we were allowed into the auditorium, which, I must admit, was a little on the chilly side.
There was no programme available, so I’ll have to go by character names rather than actors. I’ve seen the professional production in London’s West End, so I knew the story well and was curious to see how it would translate in a community setting.
Lighting-wise, things were solid — it met the needs of the show and did a good job of spotlighting the characters when required. The scenery, however, felt a bit muted. It reminded me of Christmas crackers — functional, yes, but lacking that gritty dystopian edge the show demands. There was just one main set, and no change after the interval, which made the world feel a bit static.
The show started as a 3-star experience for me. I sensed some nervousness early on, but once the cast settled into their roles, the performances became much more confident and engaging.
There were some real standouts: Killer Queen and Scaramouche both shone, but my personal favourites were Britney Spears and Miss Osbourne. The actor playing Britney had great energy and totally embodied the role. The ensemble worked well together, though their choreography could have been a little tighter.
Galileo is meant to be a passionate misfit, but this portrayal leaned more towards “public school boy.” While his singing voice was strong, the characterisation didn’t quite fit — lines like “hey baby” didn’t land believably.
Of course, this is an amateur production, and perfection isn’t the goal. It’s a community theatre show bringing We Will Rock You home to the City of Culture — and there’s something lovely about that.
Just before the end of Act One, the energy really kicked in, lifting the show to 4-star territory. Unfortunately, the momentum didn’t carry through — Act Two dipped in energy, and performances felt less consistent, which was a shame as I was really rooting for them by the interval.
The audience, too, could have been more involved. Apart from the boisterous lady next to me, there wasn’t much clapping or cheering — a surprise for a Queen musical!
So, where does that leave us? The show began as a 3-star, climbed towards 4, but the uneven second half brought it back down again. With a few tweaks and a bit more energy on 2nd half this could be a 4-star show. For now, I’m giving it 3 stars.
https://bradfordplayhouse.org.uk
Grace’s Postscript:
Aye, I’ll tell you what — it takes some guts to tackle Queen on stage, and this Bradford bunch gave it a right good go. Bit of polish here and there and they’ll be shining like Freddie’s jacket in no time. And if you ask me, it’s grand to see local talent rocking the Playhouse – that’s what the City of Culture’s all about, love.