'Burlesque The Musical' review — this feast of sequins, spotlights and sultry striptease is a glitter-ordained marvel

Read our review of Burlesque The Musical, starring Jess Folley and Orfeh, now in performances at the Savoy Theatre to 6 September.

Everything we’ve heard about Burlesque The Musical, the stage adaptation of the beloved Christina Aguilera/Cher film, suggested it was shaping up to be a spectacular flop. Rumours of backstage drama have been mounting: several high-profile creatives exited the project after its test runs in Glasgow and Manchester, and Equity has been called in to mediate issues between some performers and management. Hardly the grounds on which to build a razzle-dazzle extravaganza. But whatever unfolded behind the scenes has not stopped this production from sashaying, quite extraordinarily, its way into the Savoy Theatre.

This is no ordinary film-to-stage adaptation. The movie’s original writer and director, Steven Antin, has taken the source material and moulded it into something new and downright delicious. In the movie, Ali (Aguilera) is determined to climb her way to fame, but the Ali we see here — played by Jess Folley — is driven by a deeper desire: to find her mother.

The show keeps some of its famous tunes: “Show Me How You Burlesque” sends the stage into a glitter frenzy of sultry high kicks and sharp Bob Fosse-inspired shoulder rolls. However there also are fresh, infectious numbers written by Aguilera, Sia, Todrick Hall, and Jess Folley. All lip-syncing has been dropped, and the story is transported from LA to New York. But all the changes only make Burlesque all the more irresistible.

With Folley and Orfeh playing the mother-daughter duo, the show is in excellent hands. Both have the vocal chops to rival the Aguilera-Cher partnership and then some. Folley makes a Hannah Montana-esque transformation as Ali, growing from a naive gospel singer from Ohio “with a big voice” to a full-blown burlesque star. Every time she sings, the whole auditorium tingles. Orfeh, who makes her West End debut as Tess, might have fewer opportunities to show off her husky growl, but she makes her mark just the same. Together, they send this musical soaring.

Directed by Hall, the whole evening unfolds as a show-within-a-show. Hall also plays Tess’s confidante, Sean, who doubles as an astonishing emcee-like figure. He announces songs from the theatre’s balcony and, with his introduction, the stage erupts into a feast of sequins and spotlights.

The dancing is some of the best anywhere in the West End. Act II opener “Express” sees Ali find her rightful place in burlesque land, while Jake DuPree’s Chardonnay backflips in nipple tassels during a steamy striptease.

With humour that is almost inconceivably up to date – there are references to the couple caught kissing at a recent Coldplay gig, and Baby Reindeer jokes – the night is a flat-out riot. Burlesque is already a cult classic, but this is a glow-up of the highest order. Twenty minutes could be shaved off the running time, and the resolve comes out of nowhere, but it would take industrial-strength scepticism not to fall for this glitter-ordained marvel. If this doesn’t show you how to burlesque, god knows what will.

Burlesque The Musical is at the Savoy Theatre to 6 September. Book Burlesque The Musical tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Photo credit: Burlesque The Musical (Photos by Pamela Raith)