I was looking forward to Motown the Musical written by Motown’s founder, Berry Gordy. But he shows that resting on your laurels is dangerous. Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, this is an evening of charmless exertion and banal dialogue (“It is not what you say, it is what you mean” is offered twice as a profundity). It would have been great to hear Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder and all – but their songs are chopped into pieces. This is the bittiest of homages.
Telling the story through song (a nice idea) does not come off. In a jaw-dropping scene, Gordy (Cedric Neal) and Diana Ross (Lucy St Louis) are in bed. A moment of unexpected impotence has occurred. Diana sits up and belts out consolingly into her lover’s ear: “Whenever you’re near, I hear a symphony…”
A talented cast cannot save the show. It’s best to look the other way, or in the direction of Eshan Gopal, an amazing child playing a mini-Michael Jackson. On the first night, it was the littlest guy who, deservedly, got the biggest hand.
At Shaftesbury theatre, London, until 18 February 2017
