Produced by: The Pied Pipers Musical Theatre Club
Music & Lyrics: Queen
Book: Ben Elton
Directors: Megan Stickler-Sell and Tom Heald
Venue: The ADC Theatre, Cambridge
Performance: 29 September 2026

If you came for the plot, you may leave disappointed; if you came to hear Queen classics performed with energy, talent and plenty of attitude, you’re in for a treat. We Will Rock You is a gloriously cheesy jukebox musical, but this production knows exactly what it is and plays to its strengths. With an outstanding pair of leads, a talented ensemble and Queen’s irresistible back catalogue, it delivers a thoroughly entertaining evening.

Expect a thin plot and plenty of cheesy jokes, interspersed with the musical brilliance of Queen favourites including I Want to Break Free, Killer Queen, Don’t Stop Me Now and Bohemian Rhapsody.

It was a full house for opening night of this popular rock musical, set in a dystopian future. It was wonderful to see so many new faces on stage alongside a few regular performers – and what a talented cast!

Directors Megan Stickler-Sell and Tom Heald have given the production their own distinctive look, with a dark, futuristic, double-level set and the conformist GaGa Kids dressed in dark suits. The colour comes from the Bohemians, a band of rebels defying Killer Queen, who controls the iPlanet. The rebels want to revive live rock music, and Galileo Figaro is their ‘chosen one’, The Dreamer, who hears the lyrics of old songs in his dreams.

Alongside the excellent choreography by Emily Ruth Garner, who also features in the ensemble, Musical Directors William Davies and Stephen Denman provide the backing with a rocking seven-piece band. Initially hidden from view, the musicians are later revealed at the back of the stage, leaving a relatively small area for the action.

Our heroes are Galileo Figaro and Scaramouche, played by two newcomers to the Cambridge stage, Sam Gavin-Pitt and Louise Lindsey. These two commanded the stage from the off, and when they sang – whether solo or together – the vocals were outstanding. While there was certainly a nod towards Freddie Mercury, Gavin-Pitt made the role his own, belting out Queen numbers like a true pro. Lindsey looked entirely the part as Scaramouche (or ‘Scabby Bush’), with soaring vocals to match Galileo, and the two had great chemistry, which helped make the – let’s be honest – fairly thin plot work.

Killer Queen was played by Trenetta Jones in a welcome return to the Cambridge stage – and her performance is divine! She is a pantomime baddy we can all love to hate, but with a fantastic voice and impressive stage presence. It does, however, highlight one of the plot’s inconsistencies: for someone who supposedly hates and represses rock music, she certainly sings a lot of it!

There were also some great performances from Laura Saunders as Oz, Marco Palmer as Khashoggi, Killer Queen’s henchman, and Alex Schosland as Buddy. Carol Bye’s costuming is excellent throughout, capturing the contrasting worlds of the GaGa Kids and the Bohemians. Although, perhaps we could have had a few more inches on Oz’s skirt!

The ensemble was excellent, providing the GaGa Kids and the Bohemians, as well as some energetic, high-octane full-cast numbers.

The technical production was also impressive, with some wonderful lighting effects adding to the futuristic feel of the show. There were a few sound balance hitches at the beginning, however, with the music occasionally drowning out the dialogue, but this settled as the performance progressed.

The cast really make the most of the rather poor dialogue. It is a disappointingly unimaginative plot, particularly considering it was written by comedian and award-winning author Ben Elton, renowned for his edgy comedy.

Ultimately, the cast and creatives are the reason this production works so well. The dialogue and storyline may be its weakest elements, but the performances, vocals, choreography, design and, above all, the sheer infectiousness of Queen’s music more than compensate. The audience clearly loved it, clapping along to the songs and whooping for their favourite characters. This is a production that takes a flawed jukebox musical and, through the sheer talent and enthusiasm of its cast, turns it into a hugely enjoyable night at the theatre.