The Cher Show – A new musical has a book by Rick Elise and is brought to the Sheffield Lyceum Theatre by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC and Croft House Theatre Company. Originally premiering in Chicago in 2018, before transferring to Broadway, the Cher Show had its UK premier with a tour in 2022/23. Celebrating the remarkable story of Cher’s life with its highest heights and lowest lows and set to a back catalogue of 31 songs that encapsulate the longevity and apparent timelessness of her talents and persona … not forgetting her looks that seem to defy time! Then there is the Bob Mackie costumes, always fabulous, always spectacular and always head turning. A six-decade career, an icon and a memory that shaped her life, ‘the power is in the song’.
Expertly directed and choreographed by Claire Harriott the high energy musical flows seamlessly and at speed and the ensemble are well-rehearsed and accomplished. The dance numbers are slick, and it is a delight to see accomplished dancers on stage giving much to create the dazzling spectacle. The vast and elaborate costumes made mainly by the company must have been a mammoth task to undertake, and I can only applaud the Wardrobe Manager Christine Minnott and her team and the Dressmakers – wonderful work!
The minimalist set of a video wall and the occasional truck to represent interiors works well and allows the characters to dominate the space. Gary Longfield’s lighting design, along with Nick Greenhill’s sound design creates the needed intensity of the ambience. A show that is much about Music needs a Musical Director up to the task and Matt Symonds shows his pedigree with an exceptional band consisting of 13 talented musicians. The sound they create is authentic and well balanced and some of the vocal trio’s sung by the Cher’s are positively exquisite.
Croft’s three leading ladies of Star, Lady and Babe go a long way at delivering the rise and fall (more than once) of Cherilyn Sarkasian La Piere Bono Allman known simply as Cher. The unique concept of three Cher’s onstage and interacting with their younger and older self’s, give a fresh and interesting depiction of a life from shy young girl, superstar and then to survivor of fame. The show rather than being nostalgic is more edgy – laced with a clever and wittily written script that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Tanya Tuby as Star, Harriet Thompson as Lady and Grace Hadaboro as Babe work beautifully both together and independently, their vocals are especially dynamic when in harmony and they manage to give the different ages of Cher a similarity yet uniqueness in situation. A challenging vocal role for any performer with the sheer number of songs, these three ladies give a polished depiction. Adam Walker as Sonny comes into his own in the second act and gives a convincing performance. Andrew Stansall is at ease in his role as Bob Mackie and it is great to see his dance prowess. Jay Bell as Mackie’s Assistant gives a comedic and secure performance and is a very likeable character. Gregg Allman/Phil Spectre played by Jamie Cooke has a fine singing voice and great comic timing and did well on the night, even though he was obviously suffering with an injured leg.
I really enjoyed Caroline Fojut an exceptional performance in the role of Cher’s mother Georgia Holt, her vocal solo was a highlight for me. Other standout moments were Grace Hodabora’s rendition of The Beat Goes On and the dance performance in Dark Lady. Bang Bang is also one to watch out for, I loved the whole premise of this. A mention must go to Richard Granger who stole the stage on every entrance, and I found myself watching his aesthetic performance constantly.
As Cher tells us we should always ‘Believe’ in who we are and who we can become and Croft depicts that statement beautifully with their creation of this show. They believed they could and they became the vehicle to tell this story of resilience and reinvention and they do it with flair and fun. Amateur theatre relies on their audience’s support to fund their future productions and since 1902 Croft have been entertaining the Sheffield community. I thoroughly enjoyed the production and went home singing the songs. If you haven’t seen The Cher Show or you may be a Cher fan, get yourself down to the Sheffield Lyceum between 24th and 28th March, support local theatre and prepare to be dazzled by the professionalism and creativity of Croft’s The Cher Show.
Reviewer: Tracey Bell
Reviewed: 24th March 2026
North West End UK Rating: