From the moment the curtain lifted at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal, the audience was clapping along. Not politely. Not nervously. With full bodied joy, like they were already at a Tina Turner concert. It set the tone for the whole night. This wasn’t going to be a sit back and watch kind of show. It was all in, all heart, all hands in the air.
It starts in a small church in Tennessee. Young Anna Mae Bullock sings with a voice that’s too big for the room, and already you feel the ache and the promise in her story. What follows is a storm of emotion; moments that make your stomach drop, others that pull tears without warning. You could hear the stillness in the room when Tina’s life turned dark, and you could feel the audience willing her to fight back. It wasn’t just emotional. It was deeply human.
Then the power kicks in. As soon as Tina steps into her spotlight, the show shifts from story to sensation. Jochebel Ohene MacCarthy delivers a performance that’s pure electricity. She doesn’t mimic Tina, she channels her, from the gravel in her voice to the fire in her soul. When “River Deep, Mountain High” hits, it’s like being hit by a lightning bolt. The applause is instant, deafening, deserved.
The hits come fast, “Private Dancer,” “Proud Mary,” “What’s Love Got to Do with It.” Each one feels earned, each one brings a fresh roar from the crowd. And by the time we reach “The Best,” the entire theatre is on its feet. People are singing, clapping, swaying, completely swept up in the moment. This was part musical and part Tina in concert.
The performances are blistering. Jochebel owns the stage, every scene, every song. David King Yombo plays Ike with such intensity the audience was audibly reacting – gasps, groans, even a few scattered boos. Their chemistry is raw, uncomfortable, and utterly gripping.
The production is top tier. Mark Thompson’s costumes sparkle and shift with the decades. Bruno Poet’s lighting and Jeff Sugg’s projections are sharp, cinematic, and immersive. And Anthony Van Laast’s choreography fills the stage with storytelling that moves just as much as the music.
What makes Tina the Musical soar isn’t just the hits, it’s the heart. It’s the pain, the survival, the joy that follows. This is a celebration of resilience, of finding your voice and holding nothing back.
