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A peek behind the curtain with the one-of-a-kind storyteller.

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Tim Rice is one of the most famous lyricists ever and definitely a household name for musical fans. Everyone will have their favourite show or film that he contributed to (mine being Evita). It was difficult to know what to expect from this evening of entertainment, but it certainly didn’t disappoint. A timeline of his 60-year career full of the hit songs and stories behind them.

Opening with a medley from Jospeh and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, the talented performers created a relaxed atmosphere from the start, with the audience knowing that they were in good hands. The obvious song choices featured throughout, but also a handful of more obscure surprises (for example, Heaven On Their Minds, the opening song from Jesus Christ Superstar) which was refreshing. The songs featured from Tim Rice’s biblical masterpiece made the show perfect viewing for Easter Sunday. There were some songs that I was completely unfamiliar with and a few pop songs that I hadn’t known were written by Tim Rice. I was disappointed not to hear any of Che’s songs from Evita performed, but witnessing A Winter’s Tale by David Essex made up for this.

All four vocalists did these iconic songs justice whilst allowing themselves to have fun and break character now and then. Everyone got their moment to shine, sticking to more or less traditional arrangements and not just singing each song together for the sake of it. With none of the elaborate costumes, set or choreography, it was still an engaging concert. The two female performers sparkled, with plenty of lighting arrangements and a lively swaying movement. Shonagh Daly stood out during her solos as Eva Peron. Sandy Grigelis went all-out whenever he took the stage, fully embodying the self-obsessed actor personality. Patrick Smyth’s voice was perfect for Chess’s Anthem but had me longing for Sandy during a particularly boring rendition of One Night in Bangkok. Katie Brill, although not mentioned in the brochure, deserves high praise indeed for making all her different parts sound equally beautiful.

I almost felt a bit starstruck to share a room with the Tim Rice and it is a daunting task to critique this living legend. Fortunately, I have nothing bad to say. A completely enthralling narrator, Tim Rice is the perfect balance of witty and smug. He wasn’t ashamed to take pride in and display some of his many awards on stage, representing his EGOT status. The audience even got the privilege of hearing Tim Rice’s singing voice as he performed the original version of I Don’t Know How to Love Him as it was before the concept of Jesus Christ Superstar and the lyrics being scrapped. It was a highly informative but extremely easy-going night out.