West End show review: Hit musical The Prince of Egypt at the Dominion Theatre is bigger and better

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Published on Friday, 23 July 2021 11:12

Last Updated on 23 July 2021

Monica Costa

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Grammy® Award nominated musical The Prince of Egypt, based on the classic DreamWorks Animation film, has now re-opened to the public. I was meant to watch it in 2020 before the pandemic started so I was delighted to attend one of the first shows back on stage last night. The complete cast, orchestra and company of 154 are back into London’s Dominion Theatre adhering all measures and with socially distanced audiences.

The story

The Prince of Egypt is an epic theatrical re-imagining of the classic DreamWorks Animation film, which tells the story of Moses and his links with both the Egyptian Pharaoh family and the Hebrew community.

I love biblical stories and this stage adaptation is wonderful. We know the compelling story: Two young men, raised together as brothers in a kingdom of privilege in Ancient Egypt, find themselves suddenly divided by a secret past. One must rule as Pharaoh, the other must rise up and free his true people; both face a destiny that will change history forever.

 

The talent 

The outstanding cast of 46 includes Luke Brady (Moses), Liam Tamne (Ramses), Christine Allado (Tzipporah), Alexia Khadime (Miriam), Joe Dixon (Seti), Debbie Kurup (Tuya), Clive Rowe* (Jethro), Mercedesz Csampai (Yocheved), Adam Pearce (Hotep), Tanisha Spring** (Nefertari), Silas Wyatt-Barke (Aaron), Simbi Akande, Casey Al-Shaqsy, Joe Atkinson, Danny Becker, Felipe Bejarano, Pàje Campbell, Catherine Cornwall, Adam Filipe, Soophia Foroughi, Natalie Green, Jack Harrison-Cooper, Kalene Jeans, Christian Knight, Jessica Lee, Oliver Lidert, Daniel Luiz, Jay Marsh, Scott Maurice, Carly Miles, Alice Readie, Samuel Sarpong-Broni, Christopher Short, Molly Smith, Ricardo Walker, Danny Williams, Niko Wirachman and Sasha Woodward together with young performers Cian Eagle-Service, Maiya Eastmond, Jersey Blu Georgia, Taylor Jenkins, Mia Lakha, George Menezes Cutts, Iman Pabani and Vishal Soni. 

The Prince of Egypt has music and lyrics by multi-Grammy® and Academy Award®-winner Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell), a book by Philip LaZebnik (Mulan, Pocahontas) and features 10 new songs written by Stephen Schwartz together with 5 of his beloved songs from the DreamWorks Animation film (When You Believe, Deliver Us, All I Ever Wanted, Through Heaven’s Eyes and The Plagues).

 

The verdict

A milestone in cinematic achievement, the classic 1998 DreamWorks Animation film has been captivating audiences across the world for more than two decades. The stage adaptation is equally charming and brought alive with lots of cinematic special effects. 

The Prince of Egypt has opened at the Dominion Theatre in London’s West End, and I couldn’t have been happier to attend in person. Most songs are really energetic and performed really well by a talented cast. The scenery is stunning with multimedia use of lighting and effects. 

West End star Luke Brady delivers an excellent performance as the lead character of Moses. His singing voice works well in this role. I also loved Moses’ sidekick and brother Ramses, played by Liam Tamne. 

Thanks to the cast, I was captivated throughout the show and often jumped in surprise especially at some lightening effects, even if you know what’s coming next. The fantastic score transfers very well to the stage. 

The contemporary dance moves to portray biblical stories work nicely and steal the show.  The creative teams all deserve as much praise as the cast who delivers beautiful performances.

You don’t need to know the original film to appreciate this musical. 

The Prince of Egypt at the Dominion Theatre is a must and right now the only musical in the London West End. It was very good to be back at the theatre after such a long isolation. 

Booking:

Tickets are available now via www.ThePrinceofEgyptMusical.com

Telephone bookings: 0345 200 7982 (or +44 161 876 2405 if dialling from outside the UK). No booking fees online, by telephone or in person.

For details on all safety protocols at the Dominion Theatre visit www.nederlander.co.uk/safety

Ticket prices from: £19.50 – Ticket prices include a £1.50 theatre restoration levy.

 

Venue: 

Dominion Theatre, 268-269 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 7AQ. The theatre is adjacent to Tottenham Court Road Underground Station.

 

Dates:

Now booking all performances from 22 July 2021 until 8 January 2022.

 

Performance Schedule:

Monday-Saturday 7.30pm, matinees Thursday & Saturday 2.30pm

Running time: 2 hours and 40 minutes including a 20-minute interval.

 Recommended for ages 7+. Children under 5 cannot be admitted.