Ad disclosure: We were provided with press tickets for the purpose of this post.
(4 stars)
Last night James & I headed to The Alexandra in Birmingham for press night of Burlesque The Musical, based on the hit film and with Christina Aguilera as executive producer.
“From executive producer Christina Aguilera and written by Steven Antin, based on the hit movie, Burlesque invites you to a club like no other: a hidden world beneath the city lights where sequins sparkle, seduction shimmers and lives can change in the flick of a feather boa.”
And I think that description pretty much sums up what you’re getting with this show!
Burlesque follows Ali, a waitress from a small town in Iowa who has grown up in foster homes and was considered “too loud and too much” for the church choir. After finding out who her mother is and discovering that she lives in New York, Ali heads off to the city determined to find her.
She ends up at Burlesque, a club owned by Tess, and quickly befriends bartender Jack, who gives her a job. Ali is keen to get on stage, whilst also repeatedly trying to get the chance to speak to Tess, although something always seems to get in the way.
Meanwhile, Vince is determined to get the club closed down so he can swoop in and take over.
There’s obviously a little more to the story than that, but I won’t give away all of the twists!
The whole show is pretty chaotic – but in a good way! There’s a lot going on a lot of the time, with music, dancing, costumes, lighting and the story all happening at a fairly frantic pace. There are some quieter moments dotted throughout too, which I really enjoyed, particularly the touching makeup moment between Ali and Tess. There’s something lovely about watching them both longing for a connection that they don’t quite realise is already beginning to form.
The comedy worked well too, with Jack’s “romance” moment being a particular highlight. There were some very well-placed props involved, and the audience were absolutely in stitches. He got a huge round of applause for pulling it off too!
There were also a few funny moments thrown in, including some poking fun at a certain other musical waitress – and if you know, you know!
Faye Brookes is fantastic as Tess. There’s definitely no vanity casting here just because she’s well known from television; she has the vocals and the stage presence to completely hold her own in the role.
Gracie O’Brien as Ali is a vocal powerhouse, and the whole cast is made up of incredibly talented singers who definitely have the moves too.
I particularly enjoyed Ryan Carter as Sean, who does a brilliant job as Tess’s supportive best friend. He’s the one who helps keep Tess on track, as well as welcoming Ali – and the audience – into the world of Burlesque and the found family who work there. He also has a great voice.
Tyler Davis as Jack and Many Dermody Blythe as Queenie were also standouts for me from the non-principal cast, and I loved the twins, Freya Baddeley as Peaches and Kizzi Pink Simpson as Pearl. Their Dirty Martini number was especially brilliant.
David Fienauri made a great bad guy as Vince too. He was suitably smarmy and sleazy, which made it all the more satisfying when he eventually got his comeuppance – because I do love a happy ending, especially when it comes with a bit of romance!
Visually, the show is exactly what you’d expect from Burlesque, with sequins and feathers galore. There are loads of numbers throughout the show, many of them fairly short and definitely more scandalous than sweet, and there are a huge number of costume changes too. Some of these are cleverly done right there on stage.
The lighting was great and the sets worked really well, with the screen at the back of the stage being used to great effect. At times it felt almost like we were watching a music video happening right there on stage.
There were some really visually impressive numbers too, with fancy lifts and catches, plenty of dancing with chairs and even dancing on bars. The music and staging really showcase the best things about the world of Burlesque as a style.
One of my favourite numbers was What Are Clothes, which made brilliant use of those stereotypical Burlesque ostrich feather fans.
The music is obviously a huge part of the show, with powerhouse songs from Christina Aguilera, Sia and Diane Warren alongside new numbers from Todrick Hall and Jess Folley. There are plenty of songs throughout and the cast absolutely have the voices to do them justice.
There was a lot going on, and whilst I enjoyed the energy of it, I did occasionally feel like the pacing was a little too frantic. There are some lovely quiet moments amongst all the chaos, but I think the show could perhaps have benefited from slowing down just a little in places.
The ending also felt a little abrupt to me, although I didn’t hate it. I do like a baddy getting his comeuppance and a happy ending, so I’m certainly not complaining about where we ended up!
There were one or two little wobbles with the spotlight, but other than that everything seemed to go pretty smoothly from a technical point of view.
Overall, Burlesque The Musical is a fun, glitzy and glamorous show packed with fabulous costumes, great music and a very talented cast. It may be a little chaotic at times, but there are plenty of laughs, some really impressive performances and lots to look at throughout.
If you like your musicals with plenty of sequins, feathers, dancing and a healthy dose of sass, then this is definitely one to add to your list.
For us, it’s a ★★★★☆ four-star show.
Burlesque The Musical is at The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham until Saturday 17th October 2026. The show runs for 2 hours and 20 minutes including the interval and is recommended for ages 12+. There is mature content and near-nudity, as well as strobe lighting, smoke and haze.
The Saturday 10th October performance is a signed performance.
