Review: Love Never Dies - In Concert (London Palladium)

Review by Daz Gale

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Last week, The Phantom of the Opera celebrated 40 long years in the West End with a huge gala reuniting legendary members from its original cast. It is safe to say its place in history is secured, even if Les Misérables just stops it from nabbing the title of longest running musical. But what of the Phantom sequel Love Never Dies? It would be an understatement to say that the response to the original 2010 run wasn't quite as positive, abruptly ending its disappointingly short run before poor Christine even had a chance to finish her high note. However, the musical that never dies has had a second lease of life through concerts that miraculously right the wrongs from the original. Just three short years after the last concert wowed audiences in the West End, it is back once again with a new leading man in the mask. Could the success from its last outing be repeated or would this musical have been better left to die?

Serving as a sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies opened at London's Adelphi Theatre in 2010, closing the following year. That same year, a revised version opened in Australia, receiving a better response though still struggling to find its audience. It is that version that now forms the concert version, making its long-awaited UK debut in 2023 and returning for an encore now. 

Set ten years after the events in Paris, enough time has passed that the last shards of glass from a fallen chandelier have long since been cleaned up. Now residing in Coney Island, the Phantom still longs for Christine, especially her voice. Well, we all have our kinks. When Oscar Hammerstein summons Christine to perform in Brooklyn, plans change and she performs for the anonymous Mr Y at Phantasma instead. Guess who Mr Y really is? The clue is in the name really. Travelling with husband Raoul and her son Gustave, questions emerge about who the kids’ real father can be in a story that resembles a cross between Mamma Mia and an episode of the thankfully no-longer airing Jeremy Kyle show. That's not the only thing they all have to worry about with old affections rekindled and no consideration of a throuple, while a neglected old friend threatens to become a dangerous rival. It's all very dramatic… even if not much of it makes any sense.

Let me start by addressing the obvious - Love Never Dies is a poorly written show, in regards to the book, that is. There is a sense of life imitating art as one line in the show clearly says “There are moments where it lags” - the punchline writes itself. Plots don't make any sense and characters have been so wildly rewritten they appear unrecognisable compared to their original counterparts. If this was a standalone story it would probably feel less jarring, though the inadequacies in the writing would remain. However, this is a sequel to characters and a world loved and known by many, so to completely transform them and place them in situations that lack any sort of believability acts as a disservice to the audience and the original story. Though improvements were made over time, the basic premise of the story is pretty irredeemable, making it clear to see why every fully staged production failed.

Where the concert versions have thrived, however, is the way they minimise and even gloss over the problematic and questionable book to put the focus clearly on the music instead. With music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Glenn Slater (with additional lyrics by Charles Hart), the songs have been brought to life in the best way possible, through a large orchestra (thankfully not cut in size like this show’s predecessor), expertly conducted by Simon Lee. By focusing on the strongest aspect of the show, Love Never Dies - In Concert takes an objectively poor show and miraculously finds some cohesion in it, ensuring that audiences are truly wowed by the music of the night (wrong Phantom show but never mind). The way the music is allowed to soar brought breathtaking beauty to the numbers, with the entr’acte and play-off being two of the standout moments of the night. Such was the intensity and awe-inspiring nature of the entr’acte, conductor Simon Lee accidentally tossed his baton so it went flying across the stage like a rogue chandelier. As funny as it was to witness from all involved, it captures the essence of being in the moment and how glorious this orchestra really was. Dare I say these songs have never sounded better than they did at this concert.

Historically these types of concerts have been plagued with lighting and sound issues, but that certainly wasn’t the case this time. The quality now associated with any concert produced by Darren Bell is reliably impressive (with one look at the announced shows for 2027 adding to that) and the detail and care that goes into realising these events means that those past problems are resigned to history. Faultless sound design from Paul Gatehouse meant the stunning cast and orchestra had their talents amplified in a way that highlighted them best, never missing a beat with not a single missed cue or mic issue on the performance I attended. Tim Deiling’s lighting design was similarly striking - often, cast members can be left in the darkness at these concerts (which admittedly might add to the Phantom’s enigmatic nature) but that was not to be this time, with glorious design that saw cast members in the spotlight moving into the darkness when their time was up.

There has always been a great deal of interpretation and wiggle-room in how these concerts should be presented. In theory, a concert like this may be nothing more than cast members standing in front of microphones. Love Never Dies offers much more than that, with Shaun Kerrison’s direction blurring the lines between a concert and fully-staged production. While there may not be many set pieces, the creativity Kerrison uses encourages imagination from those watching - the attention to detail in how best each actor should portray these characters makes for some truly compelling moments, even if the original writing means some of the choices are questionable in themselves. Joanna Goodwin’s choreography also brings a sense of grandeur to the evening, giving the cast much more to do than simply stand and sing, instead offering a great use of movement, bringing some of the more dynamic and outlandish moments to life in spectacular fashion. 

The big draw of these concerts can often be the cast they assemble for it, bringing together performers whose schedules may rarely allow them to share a stage such as this, particularly if the show in question had a lengthy run. The indomitable Mazz Murray is one example of this, always effortlessly able to dominate any stage with her unrivalled presence and incredible star quality. This time around she takes on the role of Madame Giry, offering a powered interpretation of the character with Murray’s unmistakable vocals used to full force on her far too few musical moments. Returning to the role she played in the 2023 concerts, Courtney Stapleton is similarly wonderful as Meg Giry, playing up to the increasingly erratic side of the character. One musical highlight of the night saw the pair join forces with Raoul and Christine for a rousing ‘Dear Old Friend’.

Speaking of those two, George Blagden has relatively little to do as the sidelined Raoul, though he makes his presence felt in the rare moments he has the opportunity to, teaming up with the Phantom for a standout moment in ‘Devil Take The Hindmost’. Also returning to the show following the 2023 concerts is Celinde Schoenmaker, surely one of the strongest Christines there has been. Schoenmaker’s history with the character creates a sense of authenticity, heightening the emotional impact of the story and again helping to gloss over some of the cracks in the writing of this sequel. Her chemistry with the Phantom this time around creates a sense of electricity and magnetism on stage, but it is her rendition of the show’s title number ‘Love Never Dies’ that demonstrates her at her best. For several minutes the world seemed to stop as Schoenmaker showcased her incredible vocals on the most beautiful moment of the evening.

There is one person still to mention, and that is, of course, the Phantom himself. Jamie Muscato has risen to become one of the most reliable leading men in the West End with a series of acclaimed performances in some of the biggest musicals around. However, he has unfinished business with the Phantom, having performed as him on Stars In Their Eyes when he was just a teenager. Finally getting an opportunity to don the iconic mask, the first question audiences would inevitably ask is what took him so long? I have been blown away by Jamie Muscato many times over my years of both theatregoing and reviewing, but this may well be a career best for him.

Muscato’s dark, brooding and mysterious characterisation of the Phantom perfectly balanced the sinister and controlling nature of the character, while still letting in those moments of love and loneliness. It is a complex character, especially in this unevenly written show, but Muscato’s interpretation is utterly miraculous. Beginning the show with perhaps the show’s biggest and best known number ‘Til I Hear You Sing’, Muscato sets the bar impossibly high from the off, with his rendition showcasing his out-of-this-world vocals that seemingly know no limit and effortless ability to use storytelling through song. Jamie Muscato is a truly gifted performer, and what he manages to do as the Phantom in Love Never Dies is nothing short of phenomenal.

A special mention must also go to Elliott Norrington as Christine’s son, Gustave. It is sometimes easy for young performers to get lost, especially when going up against some of the best in the business as is clearly the case with this stellar Love Never Dies cast. However, Norrington more than holds his own in an astonishing performance that sets him up as one to watch in the future. In a fitting full-circle moment, where Jamie Muscato’s talent was clear to see on his first TV appearance as a child, so too is that of Norrington’s. Not to spoil anything from the clearly obvious twist in the story, but I guess the apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree.

I have always held the opinion that Love Never Dies is far from a good show in any shape or form, so it is nothing short of a miracle that this concert production isn’t simply enjoyable, but utterly outstanding too. The book remains a total mess, but this concert production knows there is something special to be found hidden in the depths of the story and uses skill and creativity to pull it out. The result is a magnificent concert that highlights the beauty of the music, and makes a painful story all the more tolerable. All involved in doing this deserve the highest praise, as it takes a village to create something as marvellous as this. With a stunning cast including a career-best performance from Jamie Muscato, this concert version of Love Never Dies is one production that deserves to live forever.

Love Never Dies - In Concert played at the London Palladium from 16th - 18th October 2026. Keep an eye on @Loveneverdies for any future outings it may have, and @Darrenbellproductions for their next concerts, including Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in March 2027.