Tina Turner is one of music’s biggest icons. From her iconic hair to her stunning voice, everyone has a Tina Turner memory and some familiarity with her incredible catalogue of songs. It was that catalogue of songs that formed the basis of the jukebox musical based around her life which opened at the beautiful Theatre Royal this week. 

The show tells Tina’s story from the very beginning, starting with her childhood as Anna-Mae Bullock in Nutbush, Tennessee and ending with Tina and her sister mourning the death of their mother. This is bookended by her first solo concert in Brazil to over 180,000 fans, which is used to frame the entire musical. 

What is immediately striking about Tina’s story is the amount of abuse she witnessed and suffered. From the opening scene of the musical, which shows her parents in a physical altercation to the final scene of the first act, where Tina escapes from her outwardly charming but infamously violent ex-husband Ike Turner, the entirety of the first act has a dominant theme of abuse. While this highlights just how remarkable Tina’s story is and indeed, how unlikely her story was, it also provides more than a hint of sadness given just how much of Tina’s early life was marred by violence. 

With most of the narrative occurring in the first act, this did mean that the show felt a little laboured at times through its first half. It wasn’t until about halfway through the first act that the real hits started flowing (although there were still a few great songs in the first half) which meant that the script was in sharp focus. While Tina’s story was highly compelling, some of the pacing of the script felt a little imbalanced, with the songs often not flowing seamlessly from the script. However, it was towards the end of the first act where the songs came into their own with a highlight being Ruva Ngwenya as Tina joining forces with Rishab Kern as Raymond Hill for a gorgeously loving duet of “Let’s Stay Together” which provided some respite from the heavy themes that dominated the rest of the first act. Tina’s recording session with Phil Spector (John O’Hara) where she belted out “River Deep Mountain High” with electric power was also equally spectacular and hilarious.

However, it was really the second act where the musical came into its own. Starting with the gut-wrenching emotional low of Tina being left with nothing, “Private Dancer” was a beautiful way to showcase all of the emotion and power on the stage. As the musical hurtled towards its finale (with a much more consistent pacing), we were treated to the full collection of Tina’s hits including “Disco Inferno,” “I Can’t Stand The Rain” and “What’s Love Got To Do With It.” Yet, it was Ngwenya’s powerful performance of “We Don’t Need Another Hero” that was the highlight of the show before the finale. It was beautifully transformed into an ‘11 o’clock’ number as Tina mourned the loss of her mother and was one of the most emotionally powerful moments in the show. Director Phyllida Lloyd and Associate Director  Nicholai La Barrie’s staging was particularly clever, very closely resembling the “Empty Chairs” staging in Les Miserables to reflect Tina’s losses along the way and to emphasise that her journey was very much a solo one. 

Then came the finale, which was as epic a finale as I have ever seen on a theatre set. As the stage transformed into a full concert arena, we were treated to a showcase of joyous exuberance at its finest. The staging was dominant and powerful, and the set was extraordinary. Everyone in the crowd was on their feet and revelling in the spectacle. It was more than worth the price of admission alone and, as a concept, is undoubtedly, one of the more stunning moments in the theatre world currently. 

But for all the talk of the script and staging, it was Ruva Ngwenya’s performance as Tina that made the performance. With such big shoes to fill, Ngwenya performed with poise, power and pizzazz, with her acting sincere and very believable throughout all the stages of Tina’s life. Her voice was exceptional in its upper register, with the classic Tina belts in full flow. She struggled considerably more in her lower register, which was especially noticeable in “Private Dancer”, but this went to show the incredible range that Tina herself possessed more than anything else. Tim Omaji possessed all the swagger of Ike Turner, but his interpretation of the character was arguably lacking in bite and the thinly-veiled nastiness that Ike began to become associated with as he aged. 

Amara Kavaliku as young Anna-Mae was also incredibly good, possessing a voice that was powerful beyond her years (I wouldn’t be surprised if she herself plays Tina in 20 years’ time!) I also loved that the band were showcased so prominently throughout the second act, with Joey McCoy, Sisa Koroi and Joseph Tabua featured most visibly. It was a welcome reminder of how privileged theatre audiences are to hear such incredible live music day in day out to accompany the performers on stage. 

Overall, this was an exceptional show, and its finale in particular was masterful in every way. While the themes are heavy at times, this is a show with an exceptional soundtrack that will bring joy to many. It’s everything you want from a musical: it’s glitzy, fun and makes you want to get up and dance. This is one of the more exciting shows of 2023 and one that I’m quite certain audiences will love. 

Rating: ★★★★ 1/2

Tina plays until 22nd October, 2023 at the Theatre Royal. For tickets and more information, click here.

Photo: Daniel Boud