To be abundantly clear, the only reason I watched this show was because I had a spare gap of time and thought I’d give it a go. I’m glad to say that this show is was an overwhelmingly amazing surprise!
Just For One Day (2024) is a jukebox musical featuring the songs from the 1985 Live Aid concert. 40 years on from the concert, this new musical is getting regular standing ovations at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London’s West End. The story focuses on a retelling of the Live Aid concert to a new generation who is unsure what the relevance of the concert was. Through this, we see how the show came to be whilst listening to some fantastic performances of iconic songs. However, it is not just a concert full of songs. The show has a lot of emotional depth (as you would imagine) and a sweet romance at the heart of the show; showing how the concert affected the everyday citizen.
Now I feel silly saying this but I completely understand where the younger generation are coming from. As someone who is around the same age as the young generation presented, I also knew about Live Aid 1985 but was not aware of all the work that went into the show and the impact this had. It sounded pretty impressive for the time and I’m glad this show continues the legacy and charity that went into the event. You also receive a voucher for £20 your next trip… what’s not to love?!?!
The songs are just amazing and there are great vocalists in the group! We see some fantastic dance sequences as well! One of the stand out performance from the show is when Margaret Thatcher and Bob Geldof start to sing a rap like song called ‘Mrs T and Mr G’, which turns into ‘I’m Still Standing’. Seeing Margaret Thatcher do funny dances on stage was iconic and very funny! I’m not quite sure she’d think the same…
I feel like this show has more life in it than the initial run it plans to do. During the interval, I was sat near an older couple. They explained the significance of Live Aid to them and how it affected their lives. This lead to them becoming quite emotionally vulnerable to me which was not expected. It was so interesting to hear how it affected them and what it was like to live during the time. Having this experience is a first for me in a theatre, making for a unique experience. Again, this is why I love theatre. Like how Just For One Day mentions that music brings people together, so does live theatre and it’s amazing to share them experiences with different generations.
Get down to the Shaftesbury Theatre!
Max
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