'I'm Every Woman, The Chaka Khan Musical' review — Alexandra Burke has magnetic star quality

Read our review of I'm Every Woman, The Chaka Khan Musical, now in performances at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre to 27 September.

Summary

• I'm Every Woman; The Chaka Khan Musical runs at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
• The show delves into the life and career of the legendary artist
• Alexandra Burke brings star quality to the title role
• Other famous figures in the story include Joni Mitchell

We’re well and truly in the age of the jukebox musical. In recent years, everyone from Michael Jackson to Tina Turner, Cher, The Kinks and Bob Marley has been given the jazz-hands treatment, joining a seemingly endless conveyor belt of hit-packed personal history lessons. Tonight it's Chaka Khan's turn, brought to life by 2008 X Factor winner Alexandra Burke. But even with star quality practically dripping off Burke, whose deep red hair pays homage to Khan's signature look, this latest addition to the genre is one for the disappointment pile.

As is biodrama custom, the story zooms through vignettes from Khan's life. But with Nia T. Hill's script barely pausing for breath, the journey becomes a whistle-stop tour with little emotional heat. In the space of a few minutes, we see Khan, then known as Yvette Marie Stevens, practising singing at home while enduring the trauma of her parents' constant arguing and her father's heroin addiction. Then suddenly, she’s a star with a big-shot manager and Joni Mitchell (Sophie Earl) for a best friend.

A teacher at an Afrocentre christens her with the name that will make her famous. Her first marriage, to Hassan Khan (Jelani Munroe), a member of the Black Panther Party, collapses under the weight of infidelity and jealousy, while her second, to Richard Holland (Miles Anthony Daley), is consumed by drugs and partying. There is no shortage of pain and heartache along the way, but with each episode dispatched almost as quickly as it arrives – and all of it delivered through clunky, unnatural dialogue – we barely have a chance to feel it.

Instead, we're treated to a neverending meet-and-greet with the era's biggest stars. First, Earl's Mitchell delivers a haunting rendition of "Big Yellow Taxi", before Prince, Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston and Steve Winwood all make cameo appearances. Each is ushered on with groan-inducing introductions like “That’s Miles Davis to you”, while their most recognisable mannerisms are exaggerated almost to the point of parody.

The most bizarre choice of all, though, is the writing of Khan herself. Burke is magnetic throughout, but constantly with her from the opening scene on is a mysterious character (Chrissie Bhima): a grinning embodiment of temptation who constantly steers her towards drugs, excess and self-destruction, rather than peace or time with her family. When it is finally revealed that this figure might not be all she seems – hardly a surprise, I might add – the whole stage spins into a weird, frenzied replay of Khan’s life, set to a distorted version of “I’m Every Woman”.

It is quite the decision to give the title song away to a character other than Khan. But then, throughout the show, it feels like she is often a bystander in her own story. Even weirder is the moment when her daughter Milini (Charlotte St. Croix) is asked to sing a song she’s recently been working on, only to launch into Christina Aguilera’s "Beautiful".

Directed by Racky Plews, the production never quite decides what it wants to say. Is this a redemption arc for Khan? Does it simply give us a picture of her at each stage of her life? Or is it merely a way to shoehorn as many of her songs in as possible, however unconnected they may feel? Perhaps, trying too hard to be Every Woman means this show has no real identity at all.

I'm Every Woman, The Chaka Khan Musical is at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre to 27 September. Book I'm Every Woman, The Chaka Khan Musical tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Photo credit: I'm Every Woman, The Chaka Khan Musical (Photos by Danny Kaan)