Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Tickets and more information: http://www.thesimonandgarfunkelstory.com/welcome/
Running until: 10th December 2018
Production Photos by: Betty Zapata

Taking over the Lyric Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue on Thriller’s nights off is a musical presentation of the music Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel released in their lifetime. Not only being one of the most successful music duos of all time, the production also provides a snippet into their career as solo artists, their personal life and what was politically happening at the time of their success.

To be honest, I’m not entirely sure what to label this production. It’s not really a musical because there’s no real script. It’s the two performers and their band performing the songs while interjecting with information and facts about what was happening in the pair’s lives. This makes me think it might be easier to call the production a tribute act. If, like me, you were born a while after the 1970s a show like this is a really great introduction to the music of Simon & Garfunkel. But I did feel there wasn’t enough substance about their background. While there were video clips in the background on a TV screen, there were only a few minor interjections from the performers between songs which I didn’t think was all that engaging, it felt like being lectured. This works well given I didn’t know much about the pair but when the target audience seems to be those who grew up loving their music – it’s the equivalent of reading a Wikipedia page with their music on in the background.

I know that sounds quite harsh, but I did find there were a lot more positives outweighing the negatives. Firstly, the performers are great. Charles Blyth was particularly charming and has a wonderful voice (and a great whistle solo too) singing as Art Garfunkel. Beside him was Philip Murray Warson as Paul Simon whose acoustic solo moments were enchanting and had the entire audience in the palm of his hand. They are both backed up by a brilliant live band and brass ensemble, which really induced excitement into the audience. The video design by Josh Woods is also worth noting, as it really gave a feel of the era these two performers were successful in. From pictures of political protests to a snippet of a speech from Martin Luther King to a small clip of Paul Simon in The Graduate that transitioned seamlessly.

Overall, I think this show is a great night out for those who are Simon & Garfunkel fans. A real tribute to two musical legends performed by two bright and upcoming performers. If you can’t make it to their dates in London, be sure to see if they are coming to a town near you.

Until next time,