The Blues Brothers. A cult film, a multi-million-selling soundtrack album, and a smash hit West-End musical. The characters created by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as part of the Saturday Night Live show back in the late 70s have become so popular that Jake and Elwood Blues have become a part of contemporary culture. And it was no surprise to find the Hippodrome not only packed with people, but packed with a majority of people wearing the trademark black suits, pork pie hats and sunglasses. The programme calls it ‘the biggest party in town’ and the audience had come prepared. 

The show began rather inauspiciously in front of the safety curtain as the two ‘brothers’ (Mark Lawson and Brad Henshaw) dressed in overalls, performed a hilarious mimed clowning routine involving the microphone, a latecomer and the safety curtain itself. I won’t go any further or I’ll spoil it for anyone who goes to see the show, but trust me – it’s very funny. Then the curtain raised to a blackout, with searchlights circling, and the legendary Peter Gunn theme. Lawson and Henshaw, now attired as their Blues alter-egos Elwood and Jake, abseiled down to the stage and launched into a wonderfully energetic rendition of Everybody Needs Somebody. With almost no pause they rattled off a couple of upbeat soul-and-blues standards: Hey Bartender and Gimme Some Lovin’. The tongue-in-cheek theme from Rawhide came next, of course, accompanied by more clowning involving, you guessed it, a whip. Other highlights of the first act were backing singer Jennifer Wallace performing a stunning version of Shake a Tail Feather which displayed her wonderful voice to the full and got the whole auditorium boogie-ing away, and the storming Land of A 1000 Dances just prior to the interval.

The second act began rather slowly but soon got moving with a fabulous harmonica solo from Jake (Henshaw) and some audience participation in the uplifting Flip Flop and Fly. Backing singer Neal Wright then paid a tribute to Cab Calloway (who starred in the original film) with a rendition of Minnie The Moocher, which whilst not a great impersonation of Calloway was nevertheless an excellent performance. The Brothers and the backing group blended their voices beautifully in a moving and gospel-tinged version of Under The Boardwalk and then Wallace again unleashed her ripping voice in the Aretha Franklin classic Think. An emotional tribute to Belushi (who died of drug and alcohol abuse at the age of 33) followed, in the form of Randy Newman’s song Guilty, which includes the pertinent line “It takes a whole lot of medicine darling/ For me to pretend I’m someone else”.  Then show then finished off with a non-stop soul party consisting of Soul Man, Sweet Home Chicago and, as an encore, Jailhouse Rock.  

The Official Tribute To The Blues Brothers is a fantastic piece of entertainment, which if you have any sort of heartbeat will get you up and dancing in no time at all. If you are a fan of the original film, of soul and blues music or of musical theatre, this show will definitely appeal to you. The singers and musicians are top class, and the feel-good factor the production creates is second to none. The only slight downside to it is that there is no narrative content, no plot or storyline. Be warned that this show is essentially a concert with a few jokes thrown in, rather than a piece of theatre. But having said that, the concert is a hugely enjoyable one and the jokes are funny, so if you’re looking for a good time with no strings attached, the Official Tribute to the Blues Brothers is on at the Hippodrome until the 16^th of August.

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