West End Weekend: Kerry Ellis Live | Old Joint Stock Theatre

The Old Joint Stock Theatre in Birmingham has proven itself to be a hidden gem of a theatre, creating immersive and intimate theatrical experiences like no other. Their new venture, West End Weekend, gives audiences an exciting opportunity to celebrate some of the finest talent in the musical theatre industry, through casting a spotlight on a musical theatre star in which audiences can expect performances of iconic show tunes and exciting interviews, as well as a few more surprises in between.

Kerry Ellis kicked off West End Weekend with a bang, instantly capturing the audience's hearts with I Could Have Danced All Night from My Fair Lady. Ellis is, without a doubt, a powerhouse performer, and her ability to bring so much heart and passion to her performance is truly admirable. Admittedly, I have yet to see Ellis performing in a show itself, but she has absolutely become a firm favourite of mine for her sheer ability to move an audience just in her vocal prowess.

Hosted by Michael Neri, audiences were given a little glimpse into Ellis' life as a musical theatre performer, with a mixture of quick fire questions, interview style questions and audience questions. From these, we learnt tidbits about Ellis' experiences of auditioning, funny recollections of on stage mishaps, and we slightly leant into the more persoan aspects including navigating family life as a successful performer.

Neri was the perfect host, instantly winning over the audience with an infectious charm and building a natural rapport with Ellis, making it seem like we were witness to two friends catching up over a coffee. Whilst most of the interview type section did remaining engaging, it felt a little disappointing when Neri referred to the use of AI to generate questions on more than one occasion, making the interview section of the experience feel a little less personal. With such an exciting prospect of experiencing being in such an intimate space with musical theatre royalty, one can't help but feel like there was missed opportunity to delve into Ellis' career more.

As well as performances from Ellis, we were also treated to a performance from local musical theatre student, Mitchel Phillips, who impressed audiences with a powerful rendition of Freeze Your Brain from Heathers. Phillips also then got to duet with Ellis, and of course it had to be no other than As Long As You're Mine from Wicked. It was a joy to witness exciting new talent on stage and this is an incredible opportunity for upcoming performers to showcase their talent.

If this particular performance was anything to go by, then West End Weekend promises to be an exciting and innovative way of connecting with the magic of musical theatre, and I really look forward to what comes next at The Old Joint Stock Theatre.

★★★★☆ (4*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review