REVIEW: Dreamgirls at The Palace Theatre

And I Am Telling You... to go and watch Dreamgirls at the Palace Theatre in Manchester! 

The amazing West End show has come to Manchester. 

In this production we are introduced to the three feminist icons: Effie White played by Nicole Raquel Dennis, Deena Jones played by Natalie Kassanga and Lorrell Robinson played by Paige Peddie. 

The three ladies come together to tell the story of American music in the 1960s - they demonstrate how they suffer from institutional racism through a whirlwind of musical concepts. 

The songs didn’t disappoint and were delivered with emotion. 

Normally the standing ovation is at the end, but because of how astonishing the performances were, the audience erupted immediately just before the interval in Dennis’ breath-taking, ‘And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going’ as she embodied the power of the song. 

I am amazed and so was everyone else in the theatre. 

The show is about friendships being tested due to fame and fortune and shows the realities of showbusiness. 

Through this journey we watch as Curtis Taylor JR, played by Matt Mills, is the husband of Effie but then falls for Deena. 

Mills played the role of a controlling misogynist very well and I really felt for Deena and felt inspired by the way Kassanga portrayed her. 

The visual concept of the show was phenomenal, the backdrops and the colourful lights ranged from flashing lights to powerful spotlights - truly amazing. 

It’s obvious how much thought went into this production, especially in the costume department. The dresses which the Dreamgirls wore were visually stunning. 

The show also had a good balance between serious topics, such as black oppression, and a comedic element. 

A large part of this humour was from the character Jimmy Early played by Brandon Lee Sears. Even though Jimmy is self-obsessed and loves female attention, Sears still left the audience laughing. He does this through his over-the-top gestures. His energy is unmatched and shows his dominance through his fantastic voice. Jimmy is a very energetic character and Sears portrays him wonderfully with his vibrant moves and gymnastic skills. 

All in all, this show is spectacular and the vocals of all the cast were something else. 

All of the iconic songs, like, ‘One Night Only’ and ‘Listen’ were delivered beautifully. Nicole Raquel Dennis is so talented and left goosebumps on my arm - she really is a star and I felt honoured watching her sing. This really is a show you don’t want to miss. Incredible cast. Incredible production. 

Dreamgirls is at The Palace until September 24.