REVIEW ROUND UP: Get Up Stand Up!, Lyric Theatre London

Lively up yourself and celebrate the story of Jamaica’s global superstar, as the electrifying new production, Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical, burst into life at the Lyric Theatre, London.

Get Up Stand Up Tickets London

Reviews are coming in thick and fast for Get Up Stand Up! at the Lyric Theatre London. Get Up Stand Up! the musical tickets are now on sale.

Get Up Stand Up! is the story of Bob Marley who hailed from the hills of rural Jamaica, armed only with his overwhelming talent and righteous beliefs. Marley applied himself with resolute determination to achieve international acclaim for his prophetic musical message – a gospel of love and unity.

With unlimited access to Marley’s platinum-selling catalogue of music, the multi-award-winning team of Lee Hall (writer), Clint Dyer (director) and Arinzé Kene (playing Bob Marley) capture the rebellious spirit and story of this universal icon. A euphoric company of performers fuse with the finest reggae musicians to bring this triumphant tale of passion, political unrest and progress from Trenchtown to the West End.

Book now and lose yourself to the rhythm of ‘Exodus’, ‘No Woman No Cry’, ‘Waiting in Vain’, ‘Three Little Birds’, ‘I Shot the Sheriff’, ‘Could You Be Loved’, ‘Redemption Song’ and so much more.

Arinzé Kene as Bob Marley. Photo: Craig Sugden

GET UP STAND UP! – CRITICS SUMMARY

The Guardian (3*, by Arifa Akbar): “Clint Dyer’s pulsating production has the spirit of a staged concert with spoken scenes tucked in between the songs, and with the emotional freight of the story carried in its celebrated music. Sometimes this means that character and dialogue are sacrificed but the music is infectious – and there is a central performance from Arinze Kene that soars and tingles the spine.”

Daily Mail (3*, by Patrick Marmion): “As much as I love Marley and his music, this version, written by Lee Hall (best known for the Billy Elliot and Rocketman screenplays) left me slightly cold and faintly baffled….  Marley’s life was too complex and too troubled to suit the Mamma Mia! approach of simply ticking off the hits. Instead, let’s be honest, the real reason we’re here is to do exactly as we’re told by the title. But it’s not until we hit Jamming, just before the interval, that actually happens.”

Get Up Stand Up musical
The company of Get Up Stand Up! Photo: Craig Sugden

The Times (3*, by Clive Davis): “The flaws in this celebration of Jamaica’s greatest musical export may not prove fatal. As someone who grew up on Bob Marley’s music, I want this show to succeed. And in the Nigerian-born Arinzé Kene, it gives us a shaman-cum-entertainer who is blessed with a soulful voice (no matter that he’s much more bulked-up than the bird-like leader of the Wailers)…. If the script is hectic, Clint Dyer’s direction lacks momentum. There are too many lulls and moments when the actors look marooned on Chloe Lamford’s set, which uses blocks of sound system speakers to evoke the sprawl of Kingston and London. Shelley Maxwell’s choreography only occasionally catches fire, as on the brooding version of Exodus that opens the second act.”

Evening Standard (4*,by Jessie Thompson): “In the closing moments, it feels like this isn’t just a joyful night out – it’s a major and important cultural event.”
Arinzé Kene (Bob Marley), Gabrielle Brooks (Rita Marley). Photo: Craig Sugden
iNews (4*, by Sam Marlowe):  “Don’t expect a simple jukebox show at the Lyric Theatre in London: Lee Hall’s book grapples with turbulent politics, Marley’s complex personal life and his Rastafarian faith.  There’s a seriousness here, a real attempt to honour Marley’s legacy… The passion and commitment of the cast, the elan of Dyer’s staging and the irresistible pulse of the songs sweep you along and hold you fast”.
Daily Telegraph (5*, by Dzifa Benson
): “It’s startling how much like Marley Arinzé Kene sounds when he sings. He’s burlier but has Marley’s physicality – the fist held aloft, the skanking – down pat. He is matched in charisma by Gabrielle Brooks’s Rita, Marley’s wife and pre-eminent member of female backing group the I-Three. She almost steals the show during their terrific duet on No Woman, No Cry. Having sat politely until the denouement on Redemption Song, the audience spontaneously jumped to its feet to dance in the aisles. A rousing, absorbing two hours-plus of joyful theatre that reanimates Marley’s genius.”
BOOK TICKETS FOR GET UP STAND UP! WEST END BY CLICKING ON THE BANNER BELOW.
Get Up Stand Up musical tickets
Share via
Send this to a friend