Chess

Chess is a strange show (a World Chess Tournament between Russian and US players set at the height of the Cold War, a love triangle and political/emotional blackmail doesn't really sound a promising mix) but works pretty well and is raised above the level of confusion by the stunning performances of the five main lead roles: Michael Ball and Tim Howar as the competitors, Alexandra Burke and Cassidy Janson as the women caught up in the competitors' complicated lives and Cedric Neal as The Arbiter responsible for ensuring "fair play" is maintained despite the chaos that engulfs the players. The remaining cast and crew, especially the ENO Orchestra and Chorus, are superb and ensure an truly entertaining evening (even if the story gets a little lost from time to time). When it was first performed in the mid 80s, at the height of the Cold War, audiences would have been fully aware of the tensions between the Superpowers and the way that this crossed over into "Sports" - the boycotts of The Moscow and LA Olympics, for example - so the correlation between a Chess competition and geopolitical intrigue would have been much more resonant than they may be to today's audience, but if you ignore that and just go for the spectacle and the music, you won't be disappointed.

The show was absolutely fantastic. Michael Ball, Alexandra Burke, Cassidy Janson and Cedric Neal gave a fantastic performance with vocals and acting of a superb quality. The set was quite active with a good range of transitions and the addition of the big screens/live video feeds kept the show engaging as well as allowing everyone in the theatre to have a clear view of what was going on. The orchestra was also fantastic and I loved the fact they were at an elevated position. Overall I highly recommend!.

The show was phenomenal. I was left with goosebumps throughout the majority and was so impressed but all the performers. The orchestra were amazing. The set was incredibly creative and it was amazing how they used different lighting to denote a change in location. The set was simplistic in terms of props on the stage however the lighting, use of projectors and camera's made it very unique and interesting.

The orchestra were absolutely phenomenol and the staging was excellent. Some of the acting was incredible (although there were a couple of weak links in the cast) but I personally prefer a slightly different version of Chess to the one that was being staged. Fans of the recent tour/ Royal Albert Hall will come away disappointed that the show has been significantly altered and a number of the songs removed.

The show was outstanding. Wonderful singers/actors, and very much more exciting staging than the production I saw decades ago. The storyline is still a bit thin on understanding the motivations of the characters, but the whole package makes for a cracking night out.

I only went as my mum loves Michael ball. He was fabulous as always and never a fear he would fall off his note. The guy who played the American was rather shouty when he sang which worked for his opening number but perhaps didn’t suit all the other songs. The video screen although impressive, I spent most of the time watching them rather than the stage which is party to do with the view I had or didn’t have. Very weird concept for a musical.

Took a while to get into but the score played by that orchestra is sublime. Great performances and staging of a classic. Very tempted to go back.

Being revived in the West End 30 years after its Debut. The show still seeps with relevance. With an incredible score by ABBA front men Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson with Lyrics by Tim Rice. This show should not be missed.

Michael Ball was amazing he proved why he is in such great shows. The staging was wonderful I wish I was able to see it again. I highly recommend you go to see it.