Joni Mitchell

I’M EVERY WOMAN: THE CHAKA KHAN MUSICAL | London, West End

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Finally, London is getting a Chaka Khan jukebox musical, chronicling the singer’s extraordinary life. So-called “jukebox” musicals can get a bad name, but there’s no denying that recent UK-born jukebox musicals about Tina Turner, Cher, and The Kinks are big business. This new Chaka Khan musical is set open somewhere on the West End in the autumn of 2024: beyond that, everything else is secret. Until now!

The Prickle had the great privilege of being invited to an industry-only staged reading of the work-in-progress in London, in the presence of Ms Khan herself. Obviously, between now and the real thing, any number of things could change, but let it be said that the work-in-progress is already looking killer. Choreography by Del Mak (a newcomer to musical theatre) is at its most explosive in “I Feel for You”, in an overwhelming sequence that features cameos from Stevie Wonder (Ashley Samuels) and Prince (Hassan Sharif).

But it’s not just the dance and direction (Racky Plews) that astounds. Musical supervisor Ian Oakley also deploys Chaka Khan’s extraordinary back catalogue in the most surprising ways, including a devastating performance of “Pack’d My Bags” by deserting husband Hassan Khan (Duane-Lamonte O’Garro), and an extremely creepy performance of “Like Sugar” by the spiritual embodiment of cocaine (Luke Friend): trust me, it works.

Less persuasive is the slightly reductive “meta” framing device of the whole musical itself being about the development of the Chaka Khan musical, and how difficult it is to find someone to play Chaka Khan. However, there’s definitely something exciting about the tried-and-tested trope of three different actresses portraying different stages of the iconic singer’s life, all to reunite at the end for a massive ensemble sing-along of the title track, “I’m Every Woman”.

It’s unclear how much is going to stay the same and how much is going to change over the next year, but audiences can be sure of a dynamite show: keep an eye out for when tickets go on sale and book early.

Sign up to the mailing list on the official website.

The Prickle - About transp

INTERVIEW: SINNOBER

Interview

 

Acclaimed folk-rock duo Sinnober, Sebastian Brice (Vocals, Guitar) and Natalie Brice (Vocals, Keyboard, Bass), have just released their third album Projection, available now.

 

 

Q: This album seems more richly orchestrated in places, how did that come about?

 

NATALIE: For the last two albums, we were working as a trio with guitar, bass, and drums, which very much informed the arrangements. With Projection we moved away from that setup and had an urge to explore and expand our sound.

SEBASTIAN: Fortunately, one of the many perks of living in Frome is the abundance of creative talent, so local musician friends contributed to the recordings.

NATALIE: We are also pretty obsessed with the albums Hejira and The Hissing of Summer Lawns by Joni Mitchell, and they have undoubtedly informed the sound of Projection.

SEBASTIAN: Her music feels almost genreless and that’s where we feel most comfortable.

 

 

Q: “True North” is an absolutely beautiful song: what inspired you to write a song for your child?

 

SEBASTIAN: Thank you! Our son, Asher, is two years old now, but when we started writing the songs for Projection he was only a few months old, and we were in the throes of new parenthood.

NATALIE: Intense sleep deprivation, coupled with an overwhelming sense of love. Everything felt suddenly very poignant and this song came out of that.

SEBASTIAN: There’s also this rather limiting belief that if you want to be a serious artist, you can’t have children. Ironically, since having a child, our creativity has increased tenfold and because those pockets of space are so rare, when we do get them, we make sure we use them well.

 

 

Q: Tell me about the covers.

 

NATALIE: “No Regrets” is a Tom Rush song from 1968.  It’s one of Seb’s all time favourite songs, and we used to listen to it in the car, on this dodgy Old Grey Whistle Test mixtape, for years, before deciding to cover it. I guess our version is slightly different to the original, in that it’s sung by a female, so that changes the energy.

SEBASTIAN: “When a Knight Won His Spurs” is a song that Natalie used to sing to Asher to get him to sleep. A nostalgic and beautiful song that communicates, in a very imaginative way, the spiritual qualities that need to be nurtured in a child.

NATALIE: “Alexandra Leaving” is the last song on the album. We are massive Leonard Cohen fans. We got trolled by a guy on YouTube, because we’re singing the words as they are in Leonard Cohen’s Book Of Longing and not like his recording of the song.

 

 

Q: What’s next for Sinnober?

 

NATALIE: Our album launch for Projection, at Rook Lane Chapel in Frome, on October 18th!

SEBASTIAN: We’ll perform the album live, with guest musicians, followed by the opportunity for some massage, some couples therapy, and then maybe some more songs.

 

 

Book online now for the Projection album launch.

The Prickle - About transp