REVIEW: Cilla The Musical - Liverpool Empire Theatre

Cilla The musical was a long awaited show for the City of Liverpool and The Empire opened it's doors on Friday for the press launch which runs until Saturday 16th September. Kara Lily Hayworth had big shoes to fill as she played Liverpool's treasured and beloved star whose career spanned 50 years.

There is no doubt that Cilla was one of Britain's best loved entertainers. The musical which is directed by Bill Kenwright and co-directed by Bob Tomson is an adaptation of the critically acclaimed ITV television series by BAFTA award winner Jeff Pope. 

It is an endearing musical which tells the story of Liverpool Teen Cilla Black (nee Priscilla Maria Veronica White) and her journey to international stardom. It is clearly documented how Cilla came from humble beginnings at Liverpool's Scotland Road and was part of the Mersey Sound genre of music after being introduced to Beatles manager Brian Epstein. The strength of the relationship that grows between the two is portrayed beautifully on stage.

Cilla is played by the fabulous Kara Lily Hayworth. Following weeks of open auditions, she was successful in securing the lead role. She fought off thousands to play the envied role. She belted out the tunes with such credibility that if you closed your eyes, you would not be mistaken in thinking that it was Cilla that stood before you. The protagonist who is originally from Watford did well with the Scouse accent and pulled off a convincing speaking voice for the iconic performer. Her vocals were the main emphasis however and she did not miss a note. She was impeccable.

As the story progresses, we see Cilla being championed by her friends, her developing romance with boyfriend / songwriter Bobby Willis and her climb to stardom achieving two number one chart hits. We also observe as Cilla comes to terms with her new life of success and the untimely death of Epstein when he passes away aged 32.

Kara Lily Hayworth. Photo credit: Matt Martin

Kara Lily's vocals truly were exceptional. When she sang numbers such as "Anyone who had a heart" and "Alfie", she was breathtaking in her effortless delivery, the audience held on to her every note with appreciation and admiration. She exuded confidence throughout and was the epitome of class and sophistication.

Cast of Cilla The Musical. Photo Credit: Matt Martin

Carl Au plays Bobby Willis and he really is outstanding in his delivery and his vocals are impeccable.  His passion for the role was transmuted wonderfully onto the stage. Andrew Lancel plays Brian Epstein and is simply excellent. He has had previous experience of playing the music mogul. He played Epstein in Bill Elm's and Jen Heyes' acclaimed production of "Epstein - the Man who made the Beatles ", so there is no surprise that he delivers the role with such finesse. The rapport between him and Hayworth portrays beautifully the depth of friendship that Epstein and White shared. Also worthy of note and commendation were Pauline Flemming who played Big Cilla (Cilla's mum) and Paul Broughton who plays her dad John White. They are both extremely humorous in their own right and the energy between them is electric.

Kara Lily Hayworth. Photo Credit: Matt Martin

There were a couple of minor technical hitches but overall the show went smoothly. The set design was fantastic and showed scenes of The Cavern club, Cilla's family home at Scotty Road and various recording studio scenes.

L-R Christopher Weeks, Alex Harford, Jay Osbourne, Gemma Brodrick-Bower Photo Credit: Matt Martin

The musical score includes songs from the 60's and not solely Cilla songs. Her back catalogue would not have filled the run time which is close to three hours including the interval. The show is nostalgic and shows the highs and lows of Cilla's life and career. It does not focus on her later years and personal tragedies. The language, colloquialisms and local city references were lapped up by the audience. I must admit, a few things went over my head as I am not a true Scouser. Thankfully my plus one kept me up to speed.

Cilla gave the show her blessing before she passed away and I'm sure that she would have been very pleased with the outcome. Did Kara fill the shoes? Without doubt. The finale was received with a standing ovation and a jubilant Empire theatre audience singing along to the numbers. Congratulations to the cast and the production team. It was clear that a lorra lorra effort was put into the creation of this show and the cast were worthy of celebration and should be congratulated. Bravo.

Make sure that you hurry along and go and see a performance of this fantastic show. Tickets can be purchased here