Cilla, The Musical

At one level this is just another well-put-together biographical show in the tried and true genre of musicals based on the career and hits of a star, in this case, Cilla Black. All that is to be expected from this type of show is there, just like the old Hollywood films of the1940s like The Jolson Story or a more recent musical such as Jersey Boys. This one is telling the tale of the Mersey Sound Era. So yes, as well as Cilla, you also get the Beatles and Brian Epstein and more. You also do get a clear sense of the whole culture of the time and place in which these artists broke through. There is a fair amount of actual dramatic reconstruction of events.

It is, of course, a great pleasure to hear the music well performed live; and the staging is excellent. The script by Jeff Pope not only tells the story clearly, it tells it with real feeling so that you do come away with a sense of the lives as they were lived, the difficulties of the sudden arrival of fame and adulation for the musicians, the seriousness of their commitment to their work. A lot of the best music used in; and also some of the songs – such as Alfie – are important to the story.

You also get a sense of the limitations and prejudices of that era and of the real psychological struggles and costs to someone like Brian Epstein or Cilla herself. You can practically feel the pressures. And there is some unsubtle but perfectly pleasant light relief from characters such as Cilla’s parents and their salt-of-the-earth reactions to what is happening.

The producers and directors have been very fortunate in the cast. Without trying simply to impersonate the famous characters, they all act skilfully, convincingly portraying character development with amazing energy, as well as being extremely capable musicians who can sell the songs. The audience loved it and was clearly especially delighted by Kara Lily Hayworth as Cilla. Carl Au is superb and memorable as her beloved husband Bobby Willis and the story centres on the ups and downs of their love, the rough ride they had in the early years as they tried to cope with the pressures of Cilla Black’s sudden success. Most of all, though, they both convey a strong sense of the actual talent and abilities of the people they are playing; and my only quibble is that I wish Carl Au had had more to sing!

I was moved by Andrew Lancel’s excellent portrayal of the troubled and talented Brian Epstein and was impressed by the staging both of the script and of the numbers. The choreography was very stylish and very much in the style of the era.

Cilla, The Musical started in Liverpool and is due to keep touring until April at the moment, but my grapevine suggests that it might carry on after that. If it comes to a theatre near you and if you fancy a night listening to a good deal of Mersey Sound Music and/or are keen to learn more about the life and personality of Cilla Black and of the friends and colleagues who surrounded her, then you should definitely see this one. It is kind of the British Jersey Boys only this time it is the story of a marvellous Mersey Girl!