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Thriller Live

Edinburgh Festival Theatre
3 stars
The rise and fall of Michael Jackson, from child star to precocious pop genius to self-deifying would-be messiah and all round kook, is a story you really couldn’t make up. Perfect material, then, for a sketchbook biography a la Buddy or Elvis or else a jukebox musical with some feel-good narrative framed around Jackson’s greatest hits. Thriller Live, alas, pulls together half a dozen lead vocalists and a troupe of dancers for a musical hagiography that’s part Stars in Their Eyes tribute act, part talent night cabaret, with a few deep and meaningful slides thrown in to remind us of Jackson’s message of peace.

The effect, as directed and choreographed by Gary Lloyd under the guidance of Executive Director and Jackson ‘superfan’ Adrian Grant, is of overblown prime time cabaret. The metal platform talent show set and the presence of Pop Idol left-over Hayley Evetts, alongside talents such as the magnificently named Jag Soulsinger and Peter Murphy (not, sadly, the former Bauhaus vocalist) accentuate this.

Jackson’s real biography, it could be argued, is in the songs. So the innocent euphoria of the Jackson Five years and the disco gloss of Off The Wall and Thriller still manage to transcend some of the histrionic warbling on show, replete with moon-walking and sparkly-gloved crotch-grabbing. The real nadir comes with Earth Song, a creation so pumped up with self-righteousness it makes Bono and Bob Geldof appear humble. Performed by the entire company clad in angelic white, one prays in vain for a Jarvis Cocker tribute act to run across the stage waggling his bottom in protest. Mercifully, a finale of Billie Jean, Thriller and Black or White save the day.

The Herald, March 4th 2009

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