Casey Donovan ruled the land as the Killer Queen, and she did it with the help of some killer Queen songs along the way, in the spectacular musical 'We Will Rock You' at QPAC.
The story told of a world in the future called the iPlanet, where every song is generated by GlobalSoft, a company churning out “plastic pop music” and turning everyone into “Ga Ga Kids”: manufactured, digital communicators... Well, almost everyone.
In a world of strict rules and regulations, there are always rebels. On the iPlanet, Galileo Figaro (Gareth Keegan) wants to break free. He meets a fellow black sheep at his school, and gives her the name Scaramouche (Erin Clare), but he does not know why – yet.
Eventually, the two stumble upon a group of even more rebels, who call themselves the Bohemians. They're on a mission to discover the true meaning of Rock 'n' Roll, in a world of glitzy bubblegum pop. When they discover that Galileo is “the man” who will be the one to restore real music to the iPlanet, their search for the past continues with haste. Galileo soon realises that the words he hears and the dreams he has are all to do with his underlying need for the return of Rock 'n' Roll.
Image © Jeff Busby'We Will Rock You' featured 24 of Queen's most legendary hits, and the huge crowd in the Lyric Theatre were more than happy to clap and sing along all night. Two of the most memorable performances came from Buddy (Brian Mannix) and Oz (Jaz Flowers) who brought the house down with next-level vocals, hilarious comic timing and fiery stage presence. Props must also be given to the rest of the principal cast, who each brought their own dynamic and spice to the show.
Aside from being packed with Queen songs, 'We Will Rock You' was also chock-a-block full of other musical references. Galileo would often go off on song lyric tangents, blurting out things like “I'll tell you what I want... What I really... Really... Want,” and “I was born this way!” mid-sentence, sending the crowd into fits of laughter. A constantly reappearing reference in the show was the Bohemians' favourite relic from the past: the video tape (pronounced vid-ayo tappy to signify generational ignorance, over and over again), but the crowd couldn't get enough of it.
Image © Jeff BusbyAlthough it may have been weighed down a little too heavily with cheesy pop culture references, there's no denying that 'We Will Rock You' packed a massive punch musically. Queen's instantly recognisable riffs and choruses made the show a trip down memory lane, and the ensemble of voices pulled it off outstandingly without it sounding like a night of karaoke.
No showcase of Queen music is complete however, without 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. As the cast left the stage after bowing, a message appeared on the screen that said “do you want Bohemian Rhapsody?” which was met by a roar of applause, and the cast reappeared on stage to close the show on a tumultuous note, rewarded by a standing ovation.
Image © Jeff Busby'We Will Rock You' featured outstanding performances across the board, with Casey Donovan nailing the melodramatic evil villain role and the Bohemians hailing rock music with what seemed like an endless supply of passion and enthusiasm.
★★★★☆
We Will Rock You Tour Dates
From 10 July – Queensland Performing Arts Centre (Brisbane)From 30 August – Regent Theatre (Melbourne)
From 15 November – Crown Theatre (Perth)
From 31 December – Adelaide Festival Centre
