Review: Gravity (Theatre Royal Drury Lane)

Review by Daz Gale

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There was good news to be found earlier this year when it was announced that three of the most iconic and highest flying Witches from the West End production of Wicked would be uniting to bring us a celebration of their careers so far for one unique evening of the songs that shaped them and the journey that made them the stars they are today. Expectations were understandably high, but somehow Kerry Ellis, Louise Dearman, and Rachel Tucker managed to defy Gravity to make its success unlimited.

The tone and message of Gravity was set immediately as the trio bounced onto the stage to Elton John’s ‘The Bitch Is Back’ cleverly changed to “The Witches are back”, soaring straight into a bit of ‘The Wizard and I’ and setting the bar so high, even Elphaba might struggle to reach it on her broom. With all three women taking on the Wicked witch in the West End (as well as Louise Dearman doing the other one), their talent was clear to see from the opening moment. What proved surprising is how collectively they managed to lift each other, bringing their impossibly high standards to previously undiscovered new heights.

I was reminded of the Leading Ladies project that Beverley Knight, Amber Riley, and Cassidy Janson did in 2017, though sadly their album never led to a live show. Having seen each of the three women at this concert solo in the past in a mixture of their own concerts and various shows over the years, there was the sense that a new supergroup had been born – and long may they reign. Giving themselves the name “Mums Aloud”, Ellis, Dearman, and Tucker found a groove with each other, gelling in ways that some existing pop groups could only dream of. This may be unsurprising given the whole lore of “Tuckman”, with Rachel and Louise famously doing the show together, and Kerry’s personal relationships with each of them. The adoration they all had for each other was clear to see, and this helped light up the stage better than any spell from the Grimmerie.

Each of the three got opportunities to dominate the stage with solo performances. Kicking off with how they got started in the industry, with Louise treating us to a bit of Joseph, Kerry returning to the same stage she understudied Eliza Doolittle for a bit of My Fair Lady, and Rachel treating us to ‘Cabaret’ as she performed on the TV show, I’d Do Anything. Other Act 1 solo moments saw Rachel revisiting her time as Norma Desmond (only on a Monday) for a rousing  ‘As If We Never Said Goodbye’  and Louise giving us a beautiful ‘Meadowlark’ from The Baker’s Wife.

However, their own moments in Act 2 eclipsed any of these with 3 of the strongest numbers of the show, all delivered back to back. Louise Dearman proudly gave us her audition for Death Becomes Her with a flawless ‘For The Gaze’, which should make casting for that show all the more straightforward (well, perhaps not STRAIGHTforward) when it does eventually make it here. Rachel Tucker similarly showed us what a phenomenal Mama Rose she’d be with a storming ‘Rose’s Turn’, and Kerry Ellis reprised one of my favourite musical moments of the year, with her inimitable take on ‘Always Starting Over’ from If/Then.

It was the moments they performed together that proved truly thrillifying, however. With beautiful harmonies, this supergroup soared on their collective numbers, with a particularly beautiful ‘A Soft Place To Land’ from Waitress and even a bit of Beyoncé among the highlights. Tuckman reunited for ‘I Will Never Leave You’ from Side Show, while Rachel and Kerry united for a gorgeous duet of ‘No One But You’, made all the more poignant from Rachel’s story of seeing Kerry in We Will Rock You and going on to play the role herself. It was a moment like this that spoke to the timelessness of musical theatre and how performers, shows, and songs can transcend generations.

If I had to single out the single best moment of the night, it would belong to ‘You Gotta Get A Gimmick’ from Gypsy. You may think you know this song, especially if you saw Bernadette Peters with her trumpet in Old Friends. Forget what you know, as the rulebook was ripped up with new lyrics to tell their own stories, and gimmicks in hilarious fashion. You have Louise Dearman with her unique honour of having played both witches, complete with a Galindafied dress and a pointy hat; Rachel Tucker in her Nancy outfit, singing about her going on a TV show; and Kerry Ellis singing about Brian May. The result was the campest thing I have ever seen – even more so than ‘For The Gaze’ and deserves to be recorded and released so we can all obsess over this hilarious perfection until the Time Dragon Clock ticks its last.

Of course, Gravity wouldn’t be complete without a smattering of Wicked numbers, though perhaps not as you’d expect. Act 2 kicked off with a bold and very different version of ‘No Good Deed’, feeling like a cross between a jazz number and a James Bond theme. Unlike any other ‘No Good Deed’ I had seen before, it was a risk, but it worked – and the trio harmonising “Fiyero” is one of those moments I won’t be forgetting in a hurry. As the evening flew to its climax, a double bill of ‘For Good’ and ‘Defying Gravity’ showcased the three performers at their finest, bringing a sense of beauty to both numbers that proved completely spellbinding.

Gravity proved to be an incredible success due to every element tying together beautifully. James Doughty’s musical direction proved inspired, with sensational arrangements of songs managing to shoehorn in other numbers (‘The Wizard and I’ in two separate songs), finding ways to match the trio’s talents and personality to the vast array of numbers they were performing. Gorgeous lighting from Oli Matthews bathed the audience in a sea of pinks and greens before the show had even started, and had some great moments throughout, including a particularly gorgeous rainbow effect during, you guessed it, ‘Over The Rainbow’.

We know Kerry Ellis, Louise Dearman, and Rachel Tucker to be immeasurable talents in their own right, but Gravity painted them in a whole new light. Forget triple threats; the talents this trio has are unlimited. From Rachel’s comic timing, leaving me wondering if a career in stand-up could be in her future, to the banter between all three and the belting that never got old, the vocals on this stage were as strong as it gets, a testament to how phenomenal all three of their incredible voices are. This concert wasn’t just a great representation of these three magnificent performers, but to musical theatre in general. Truly one of the best put together concerts I have ever seen, it was teased this would not be the last we see of the three of them in Gravity , and let’s hope not. With a show as perfect as this, their future is unlimited.

Setlist:

The Bitch Is Back/The Wizard & I (Elton John cover/from Wicked)

Let Me Be Your Star (from Smash)

Prologue (from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) (Louise Dearman solo)

I Could Have Dance All Night (from My Fair Lady) (Kerry Ellis solo)

Cabaret (from Cabaret) (Rachel Tucker solo)

Over The Rainbow (from The Wizard Of Oz)

Anthem (from Chess) (Kerry Ellis solo)

Meadowlark (from The Baker’s Wife) (Louise Dearman solo)

As If We Never Said Goodbye (from Sunset Boulevard) (Rachel Tucker solo)

A Soft Place To Land (from Waitress)

Jolene/Texas Hold’Em (Dolly Parton cover/Beyoncé cover)

This Is Me/Come Alive (from The Greatest Showman)

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No Good Deed (from Wicked)

I Will Never Leave You (from Side Show) (Rachel Tucker and Louise Dearman)

No One But You (from We Will Rock You) (Kerry Ellis and Rachel Tucker)

You Gotta Get A Gimmick (from Gypsy)

For The Gaze (from Death Becomes Her) (Louise Dearman solo)

Rose’s Turn (from Gypsy) (Rachel Tucker solo)

Always Starting Over (from If/Then) (Kerry Ellis solo)

My Favourite Things (from The Sound Of Music) (James Doughty and band)

The Show Must Go On (Queen cover)

For Good (from Wicked)

Defying Gravity (from Wicked)

No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) (Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer cover)

Gravity played at Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 31^st August 2025. Follow @gravityconcert on Instagram to find out about any future performances.

Photos by Danny Kaan