Review: Jamie Muscato (Theatre Royal Drury Lane)

Review by Daz Gale

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Sunday nights at Theatre Royal Drury Lane have been proving to be the place to be for one-night-only concerts this year, lending its stage to new musicals and all-star concerts. Continuing the theme is West End superstar, Jamie Muscato, bringing his solo show to that iconic building for the biggest headline show of his career (so far) and selling out two performances. Over the last few years, Muscato has proven himself to be one of the biggest and brightest stars in musical theatre, and after an acclaimed solo performance at Cadogan Hall in 2024, these sold-out shows promised to take things to the next level. But would this concert prove the stage at Theatre Royal Drury Lane was always meant to be his?

If you are reading this, I will assume you will know exactly who Jamie Muscato is, but just in case you have been living under a rock, let me get you up to speed. Muscato has been a regular fixture in the West End for many a year now, from being a swing in Spring Awakening to early cult favourite Dogfight. His star has risen substantially in recent years thanks to originating the role of J.D. in the first West End production of Heathers, roles in Lazarus, Big Fish, West Side Story, and Les Misérables, and recent star turns in Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 and The Great Gatsby. He can currently be seen in the world premiere of brand new musical One Day in Edinburgh, travelling through the night to make it back to London on time for these performances - though he told the audience he had only had 2 hours of sleep, you wouldn’t have known, as the standard he brought was second to none.

It would have been very easy for Jamie Muscato to roll out a greatest hits from all of his shows - God knows he has enough credits to fill a show with nothing but musical theatre, but Muscato is full of surprises, and this concert was the perfect example of that. Similarly, he could have easily transferred the setlist from his acclaimed concert from Cadogan Hall (subsequently released as a live album), and nobody would have given it a second thought, but that would have been too easy, and Muscato clearly loves a challenge. What we were treated to instead was an unpredictable and versatile setlist full of continuous surprises.

Imagine going on Spotify and putting every song ever made on shuffle - that is the equivalent of a Jamie Muscato concert. Stevie Wonder, Britney Spears, Jeff Buckley and Chance the Rapper were some of the diverse names given the Muscato treatment, but this eclectic mix was best demonstrated in the two songs that opened Act Two. Returning to the stage after the interval with ‘Nessun Dorma’, Jamie showcased a different side to his vocals in a beautiful rendition… only to immediately transition into ‘Teenage Dirtbag’. He justified this afterwards by saying they may be by Pavarotti and Wheatus, but are essentially the same song, explaining their similar themes. It is this rather unique way his mind works that led to some of the most exciting interpretations of the night.

Another highlight was an incredible take on Britney Spears ‘...Baby One More Time’ - playful, yet perfect. A version of the song that you would never have heard before, it gave Muscato a chance to play to all of his strengths, even doing a brief but brilliant Britney impression. His musicality and versatility in these song choices should be commended, but the same should be said for his genius musical director, Sam Young. Responsible for the arrangements of these numbers, Young’s ideas for these songs were full of creativity, surprising and thrilling at every turn. Never putting a foot wrong, the sense of familiarity from these classic songs was mixed with a refreshing twist on many of them, even coming across as dangerous in their bold delivery. Young and Muscato very clearly make a great team, with their ideas paying off impeccably, with Young leading an outstanding band.

The band deserve every plaudit going for how they dealt with Jamie Muscato’s ambitious and even crazy idea of “Jamieoke”, having somebody go around the audience for suggestions of a song he can sing with the band, unrehearsed and unprompted. Suggestions at the evening show ranged from musical theatre numbers ‘Stars’ from Les Misérables and ‘Your Song’ from Moulin Rouge! to Depeche Mode’s ‘Enjoy The Silence’ (to which Muscato replied he wasn’t cool enough for that). Ultimately, it was the suggestion of Radiohead’s classic ‘Creep’ that won the vote. After a quick Google of the lyrics, the band jumped into gear to deliver what was one of the most impressive and standout moments of the show.

Of course, we were treated to a bit of musical theatre throughout the evening, though these came in continuously surprising ways. Revisiting the time a 15 year old Jamie Muscato appeared on Stars In Your Eyes impersonating Michael Crawford to perform ‘Music Of The Night’, a reprise of that performance (without the smoke) was swiftly followed by the exciting announcement that Jamie was finally going to play the Phantom himself, in the concert production of Phantom Of The Opera sequel Love Never Dies at the London Palladium this October. Jamie commented on how associated he is with playing teenagers before acknowledging the one he is best known for is Heathers, treating audiences to a blistering ‘Freeze Your Brain’. His recent leading turn in The Great Gatsby was revisited with a storming ‘Past Is Catching Up To Me’, bringing Act One to a close, and earning him the first of several well-deserved standing ovations of the evening.

That wasn’t the only offering from The Great Gatsby he had in store, bringing his show towards its climax with an incredible ‘For Her’. However, Jamie had some surprises in store, swiftly transitioning into ‘Roxanne’ from Moulin Rouge! followed by ‘Meant To Be Yours’ from Heathers… and back to Gatsby. His three most famous roles, all mixed in together was a brilliant albeit insane combination, with Muscato cleverly finding ways to tie all three vastly differing numbers together, such as the ingenious “Put on the red light… or the green light”. The artistry needed for this ambitious yet faultless medley was a perfect example of why this concert was so utterly spectacular, raising the bar to an impossible new level and challenging anyone else to attempt to meet this standard.

It isn’t just Jamie Muscato’s ability to interpret a song that thrills - there is also the small matter of his vocals. I say small - there really is nothing small about the phenomenal range he has, reminding audiences at every opportunity and wowing them in the process. His personality is every bit as infectious, with the ability to diffuse (sorry, J.D.) any serious moment with a cheeky smile. His ability not to take himself too seriously and willingness to poke fun at himself was another aspect that endeared him to the audience, with funny anecdotes and refreshingly unpolished introductions and segues between songs, allowing audiences to understand his personality is every bit as big and infectious as his vocals.

Though Jamie could have quite easily filled the stage alone, he was joined by two special guests for the performance. First, he was joined by Eloise for a duet on ‘Best Part’ before watching from the sidelines as Eloise performed her own original number. Later on, Jack Wolfe made a welcome return to the West End stage after wowing audiences in Hadestown on Broadway, duetting with Jamie on a beautiful ‘Only Us’ from Dear Evan Hansen. This further demonstrated Muscato’s willingness to interpret a song without overthinking, as he did when he perhaps surprisingly performed ‘I’m Not That Girl’ from Wicked. 

In terms of production value, these concerts were faultless in every respect. Every vocal and instrument sounded as glorious as intended, thanks to sound design by Paul Smith for Apex Acoustics, while the grandeur of the concert was more than met through a striking use of lighting design by Jack Weir. With great thought given to the setlist - not just what songs are to be included, but the order of them, as well as the ingenious arrangements from Sam Young- this concert ticked every box, proving to be the gold standard when it comes to any concert by a musical theatre performer in a completely flawless production.

Not all concerts are created equal, and Jamie Muscato proved that from the first moment of his show at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, keeping the impeccable standard up until the closing note. He may have become known and adored by many for his musical theatre roles, but there is much more to Jamie Muscato than meets the eye, and this concert was living proof of that. An incredible interpreter of other people’s songs, the artistry was clear to see in this varied, exciting and exhilarating setlist, proving that Jamie Muscato is not just a musical theatre star - he’s a rock star as well. Leaving the theatre, there was no room for wondering why Jamie Muscato has risen to become the huge success he is - one of the most gifted and talented performers who is at the top of his game. This may have been his biggest headline performances to date, but the sky is certainly the limit for this megastar.

Setlist:

Higher Ground (Stevie Wonder cover)

Music Of The Night (from The Phantom Of The Opera)

Life On Mars (David Bowie cover)

Sonya Alone (from Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812)

Freeze Your Brain (from Heathers)

Bless The Telephone (Labi Siffre cover)

Leave (from Once)

…Baby One More Time (Britney Spears cover)

Best Part (H.E.R. cover) (duet with Eloise)

Me And My Man (Eloise solo)

Past Is Catching Up To Me (from The Great Gatsby)

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Nessun Dorma (Pavarotti cover)

Teenage Dirtbag (Wheatus cover)

Same Drugs (Chance The Rapper cover)

Creep (Radiohead cover) (Jamieoke)

Lover, You Should’ve Come Over (Jeff Buckley cover)

Only Us (from Dear Evan Hansen) (duet with Jack Wolfe)

Lullabye (Billy Joel cover)

For Her/Roxanne/Meant To Be Yours (from The Great Gatsby/Moulin Rouge!/Heathers)

Part Of Your World (from The Little Mermaid)

Jamie Muscato played at Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 22nd March 2026.

You can see him in Love Never Dies In Concert at the London Palladium on 16th and 17th October.

Tickets on sale from 27th March at LoveNeverDiesConcert.co.uk 

His live album is available to buy from Westway Music

Photos by Danny Kaan