Theatre / Reviews
Review: TINA: The Tina Turner Musical, Bristol Hippodrome – ‘An excellent night out’
TINA: The Tina Turner Musical comes to the Bristol Hippodrome having travelled the world. It started in London in 2018 – executive produced by the late eponymous singer and her husband – before transferring to Broadway, touring Australia and still running in London. Now, it’s on a UK tour, and Bristolians came out in force on a sunny Wednesday evening for the first night of a three-week run.
The musical begins with a young Anna Mae Bullock (an adorably vibrant Chloe Angiama), not yet Tina, growing up in an abusive and neglectful home in Nutbush, Tennessee. After then living with her grandmother, she returns to Missouri, living with her mother and sister. An emergency pause in the show around this time is quickly forgotten, as the plot powers on and Tina goes on a night out with her sister, ending up singing onstage with a successful and charismatic singer called Ike Turner.
One of the challenges of creating a stage adaptation of a well-known person’s life is that everyone in the audience is well aware of the significance of Ike as soon as he appears. However, he is played with magnetic, lurking ominousness by David King-Yombo, who has a wonderfully rich voice and presence to match.
is needed now More than ever
Elle Ma-Kinga N’Zuzi (Tina) and Kyle Richardson (Raymond Hill)
The musical rides or dies on the casting of Tina Turner though, and Elle Ma-Kinga N’Zuzi is more than up to the task. She spectacularly nails Turner’s distinctive raspy voice, combined with vivid physicality that commands the stage, gradually edging Ike out of the spotlight. We move quickly through various locations as their act progresses, reflected by a large screen at the back of the stage.
It’s effective and atmospheric at times, such as when Ike, Tina and the band are stranded in the South under the stars or during a 1970s free love- infused show, but feels unnecessary and distracting at others, as when Tina records – alone – with Phil Spector (Martin Allanson) and it pulses with the beat as her vocals soar (River Deep, Mountain High.) N’Zuzi’s voice is stunning, but her microphone was turned up a little too loud and at full power it was occasionally difficult to listen to.
Elle Ma-Kinga N’Zuzi (Tina) and Company
The show isn’t quite as successful as Dreamgirls in conveying the sense of endless touring and changing power dynamics, and Ike and Tina’s relationship is drawn with quite broad strokes. Having said that, the domestic abuse suffered by Tina at Ike’s hands is meticulously choreographed (by Kate Waters) and brutal to witness, as is the racism that the couple experience.
It’s depressing to contemplate how her abuse was a pop culture and rap music punchline for many years. The backing screen, combined with dramatic lighting, is effective as the stress drives her to overdose. The show makes the unsubtle choice to have her grandmother, Nutbush neighbours and younger self appear at pivotal moments, including this one. It works as an interesting beginning to the show, when young Anna Mae trades places with the fully-costumed and powerful Tina we know she will become, but it feels unnecessary as a repeating idiom.
Elle Ma-Kinga N’Zuzi (Tina) and William Beckerleg (Erwin Bach)
Because there’s so much ground to cover, there’s not always room for the nuance that would make the narrative feel richer. As Tina regains her artistic credibility in the second act, it would be interesting to have a song that examines her process more deeply; how she rebuilt herself from tiny Vegas gigs into the iconic stadium-playing soloist we know she will become, or any concerns she might have about future relationship dynamics in her budding romance with record marketing executive Erwin Back (William Backerleg.)
But charm and comic relief is provided in spades by Australian manager Roger Davies (Isaac Elder) and Heaven 17 band member Martin Ware (Richard Taylor Woods) as she tries to get her new music out. The final reckoning with her mother and Ike resists the obvious need for a duet, relying on spoken lines – it’s the only time that the show struggles for the right fit in Turner’s extensive back catalogue, and having a song in the aftermath rather than during their confrontation feels like a wasted opportunity.
Elle Ma-Kinga N’Zuzi (Tina)
All this is forgotten for the climactic and most famous songs. Mark Thompson’s costumes are excellent throughout but really shine – literally and figuratively – in the sparkly performance numbers such as this. The lighting crew and band pull out all the stops for several songs (The Best, followed by Nutbush City Limits/Proud Mary). N’Zuzi, supported by the ensemble, is vibrant and vigorous, hyping up the audience who are thrilled to get up and have the opportunity to dance. She does spectacular service to Turner’s most famous numbers, and commands the room utterly.
Overall, I thought the show struggled a little with having so much narrative to cover and occasionally felt a little laboured. That said, it was saved by an outstandingly talented cast and incredible musicians that do credit to an icon of pop and rock and roll who survived a stupendous amount of hardship to become an entertainment titan. An excellent night out.
Elle Ma-Kinga N’Zuzi (Tina)
TINA: The Tina Turner Musical is at Bristol Hippodrome on April 8-26 at 7.30pm, with additional 2.30 matinee shows on Thursday and Saturday (no shows Sunday). Tickets are available at www.atgtickets.com.
All photos: Johan Persson
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