That'll be the day is a variety show that celebrates music and comedy from the ‘50s and 80s. Returning to the London Palladium for one night only as part of its 40th anniversary, the show promised to be packed with throwback music, sketches, adverts, and more. It certainly lived up to expectations.
Creator and performer Trevor Payne leads the show with his talented ensemble of musicians and singers, including special guest Tom Ball, who won Britain's Got Talent in 2022. Although slightly delayed in its start, Payne bounded onto the stage eager to put on an entertaining evening for us all. He introduced the show's history and set the scene for a night of music and mayhem.
While the show plays homage to an era before my time, the music still felt nostalgic, featuring timeless hits that everyone knows, a brilliant mix of rock n roll classics of the 50s and the feel-good anthems of the 80s. Songs by the likes of The Beatles, ABBA, Cliff Richard, Elvis Presley, and Diana Ross were featured, just to name a few iconic artists. The first half of the show focused on the 50s and the second part on the 80s. It was hard not to smile and bop along to these classics.
The musicians rotated for different songs, presumably to their vocal abilities; the talent was astounding, and the artists truly brought these iconic songs to life. Dare I say, it almost felt like we had The Beatles in the room with us!
At times, the staging felt chaotic with various artists and musicians at one time, but it also made the show extremely vibrant. A screen was used at the back of the stage to play videos from different years for adverts and sketches, including a scene of Top of the Pops.
Additionally, That'll be the day also delves into comedy sketches and vintage adverts, pulling the audience back in time to this era, culturally, not just musically. A school day sketch and back-and-forth innuendo comedy scene appeared, creating a lot of laughter in the room, and adding a welcome break in between the music. Payne also included the audience and encouraged them to shout out or sing along.
That'll Be The Day isn't just a show without value outside of this evening's event either. It has raised over £1million for Childline, Make A Wish, Help for Heroes, Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, and numerous other appeals, through post-show bucket collections. This was something Trever Payne proudly announced during the show, too, and they have now released an anniversary song with Tom Ball for Make a Wish, which was beautifully played in the second half of the night.
Overall, That'll be the day was a fantastic feel-good evening, and I was honoured to experience the iconic show on its anniversary.
Review: Cara-Louise Scott-Lapish