MJ moonwalks its way through jaw-dropping choreography and iconic hits, but when it comes to storytelling, it really isn’t a thriller.
MJ the Musical is a jukebox musical which follows the story of Michael Jackson preparing for his largest tour year: the Dangerous World Tour. Whilst preparing choreography, a film crew from MTV want to document Jackson’s life. Through this, we see multiple flashbacks to his prior career, leading us to his ultimate show.
The show won an Olivier award for best choreography and it really does show. Throughout the musical, the characters are continually dancing and feeling the music. It really does bring the show a grander feel and I would say is arguably the best dancing you could see currently on the West End. Similarly, the vocals were commendable considering the physical workout these actors put themselves through. Some of the set pieces bought into the space were spectacles to see, and the costumes gave some real character to each actor’s performance on stage. The ‘Thriller’ dance sequence is incredibly well crafted and deserves the extra long applauded it received.
However, the story is quite lacklustre and holds little substance. It often feels like we are going from one flashback to another without much of a tie in. Arguably the multiple dance breaks also don’t help this feeling that nothing is occurring, even if the actors are giving it their all. The set is also disappointing for a West End stage: being more akin to one you would see on tour. I also did not enjoy the ending, feeling like we stopped just as we were getting started. It is also hard as I really didn’t care for Michael Jackson before the show. I feel that if you like him and his music, you’d potentially love this jukebox musical.
The ensemble is incredible in this show. As I’ve mentioned before, it has to be one of the most intensive shows for ensemble members but they make it work effortlessly. The occurring characters were also great, being able to have two sides to each person in the past and present: a clever idea overall. MJ himself was portrayed by three performers throughout his career. The youngest performer was incredible, but is not fully utilised. The second performer is also great but overshadowed by the main MJ.
At my performance, MJ was played by André Phipps. He did a fantastic job of embodying the characteristics and attitude Jackson was known for. Similarly, his vocals and dance performance was fantastic! He really felt like the true package and was a joy to watch. The way Phipps is able to move his body is remarkable!
MJ the Musical is currently playing at Prince Edward Theatre till February 2026, before embarking on a UK tour. Get your tickets now!
Max
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