Reviews are in for Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical at the Lyric Theatre in London.
The world premiere of this brand new musical has proved a smash-hit, with British critics raving about the show, and notablyArinzé Kene’s powerhouse performance as Marley.
Clint Dyer, who most recently co-wrote and directed Death of England: Delroy at the National Theatre directs the musical, which has a book by Billy Elliot writer Lee Hall.
Based on the life of the iconic Jamaican hit-maker, the role of Marley is played by double Olivier nominee Arinzé Kene, whose extensive theatre work includes Death of a Salesman (Young Vic), One Night in Miami (Donmar Warehouse), Girl From The North Country (Old Vic) and Misty (Bush Theatre & New York).
The show features unlimited access to Marley’s platinum-selling catalogue of music, including much loved classics ‘Exodus’, ‘No Woman No Cry’, ‘Waiting in Vain’, ‘Three Little Birds’, ‘I Shot the Sheriff’, ‘Could You Be Loved’, and ‘Redemption Song’
The rest of the creative team includes choreography by Shelley Maxwell, musical supervision by Phil Bateman, set design by Chloe Lamford, costume by Lisa Duncan, lighting design by Charles Balfour, sound by Tony Gayle, video by Tal Yarden, casting by Pippa Ailion and musical direction by Sean Green.
Find tickets for Get Up, Stand Up! now
Read reviews from the UK press including The Times, The Guardian, Daily Mail, Telegraph, Evening Standard and more
Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical reviews
"Brims with unbridled charm"
"It’s a relief to report that this new show about the life of the great Bob Marley, father of reggae, Rastafari prophet and preacher of one love, does justice to its subject"
"[Arinzé Kene] gives a towering performance in the central role"
"A brilliant show that gives Bob Marley back his bite"
"The reggae star's songs have been made toothless by ubiquity. This show changes that"
"Arinzé Kene is a knockout. This is a joyful night out that also feels like an important cultural event"
"'My name is Arinzé Kene and I will be Bob Marley,' and with those words, this stellar performer ascends to the West End leading man status that he has long deserved."
"In the closing moments, it feels like this isn’t just a joyful night out – it’s a major and important cultural event."
"Arinzé Kene mesmerises in an exhilarating tribute to a legend"
"Lee Hall’s book grapples with turbulent politics, Marley’s complex personal life and his Rastafarian faith. There’s a seriousness here, a real attempt to honour Marley’s legacy."
"Julene Robinson as his mother and Shanay Holmes as singer and beauty queen Cindy Breakspeare, his lover, are powerful presences."
"A little off the beat"
"... the flaws in this celebration of Jamaica’s greatest musical export may not prove fatal. "
"Marley is magic but the drama needs some redemption"
"As much as I love Marley and his music, this version, written by Lee Hall (best known for the Billy Elliot and Rocketman screenplays) left me slightly cold and faintly baffled."
"It’s the music that carries the emotional weight in this tale of love, loss and roots rock, starring the superb Arinzé Kene"
"Clint Dyer’s pulsating production has the spirit of a staged concert with spoken scenes tucked in between the songs, and with the emotional freight of the story carried in its celebrated music. Sometimes this means that character and dialogue are sacrificed but the music is infectious – and there is a central performance from Arinzé Kene that soars and tingles the spine."
Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant
It’s a, show to be experienced, felt…. & like us , you’ll be gagging to see it again
Amazing feel good musical great to hear Bob marley music and lean about his life. Would definitely recommend to go and see the show thank you 👍👍👍👍🥂
This is a fantastic show. A rinse Kene is magnetic and gave a mesmerizing performance. He was supported incredibly well by the rest of the cast with wonderful performances by Rita and Cindy The musicians did an amazing job to create the Wailers sound. I give it 5 stars and more. All I wanted at the end was to see it again like the rest of the audience. Well done everyone – it’s a gold medal winner