REVIEW: GET DOWN TONIGHT @ CHARING CROSS THEATRE

🎭 Get Down Tonight: The KC and the Sunshine Band Musical

📍 Charing Cross Theatre, The Arches, Villiers Street, London, WC2N 6NL

🗓 Sunday 12th October 2025

⭐️⭐️

DOESN'T LIVE UP TO EXPECTATIONS

It's no secret that I'm a huge musical theatre queen who loves a good jukebox show so I was full of hope for the London premiere of GET DOWN TONIGHT at Charing Cross Theatre. Unfortunately, much like a mirrorball with missing facets, it failed to truly sparkle.

The incredible music of KC and the Sunshine Band is the saving grace of the production, but a killer soundtrack alone isn't enough to hold a show together. For me this was a huge swing and a miss, with a story that feels tired and a script that struggles to find its groove.

The story feels stale and dated, lacking the emotion and punch to connect with the audience. The narrative is overwhelmingly poor here with no direction whatsoever. It follows Harry Wayne Casey as he decides to put on a musical featuring his songs. It tells his story, but at the same time tells us nothing.

The dialogue into songs is severely tenuous, and at times baffling. On paper I should have loved this musical, but I am always a strong believer that the central story is the most important thing in any theatrical production and unfortunately GET DOWN TONIGHT features one of the weakest books in musical theatre.

There is the complete lack of compelling narrative. It's more like a series of plot points strung together by disco balls. The script, developed by J.F. Lawton and Casey, suffers from a lack of emotional depth. We're told of struggles but we don't feel them. Key moments rush by in a haze of fog and frantic choreography, leaving the audience without the intimacy or connection required to truly invest in the fate of the characters.

The supporting characters feel underdeveloped, serving more as narrative devices than as a fully realised person. The production is so focused on maintaining a chaotic, high-energy pace that it neglects the quieter moments that could have given the show heart. It's all too much noise and nothing real.

I believe there were others in the theatre feeling the same as me because there were delayed applauses after performances and a smattering of titters when laughs were expected. The cast would often encourage the audience to clap along but most had given up before too long as they were no doubt feeling as disengaged as I was.

The talent is certainly there, with an energetic and committed cast who really give their all. It's true that the cast are better than the show and they stop the production from failing completely. There are some great vocal performances throughout with the standout for me being Annabelle Terry's performance of Are You In His Arms Tonight, which felt like one of the only genuinely emotionally driven parts of the show.

Adam Taylor is full of energy and delights with the depth of his vocals and the slickness of his moves. The ensemble here are absolutely joyous to watch and execute the enjoyable choreography with wonderful precision.

The sound design here is really good. Sometimes a musical can struggle in smaller venues but everything here sounds fantastic and the band led by Musical Director Kevin Oliver Jones delivers an authentic and compelling sound to the music.

Sadly any positives within the production are severely let down by the lightweight material. The chaotic energy was all a bit too much too, with far too much focus on the noise and not enough on the storytelling.

Perhaps if the book had taken more risks and had more to say then it would have found its rhythm. But sadly, as it stands, it's a production that doesn't quite come alive, leaving you feeling more like you've been to a tribute concert rather than a piece of heartfelt theatre.

A great jukebox musical reinterprets its familiar score to tell a fresh story, but GET DOWN TONIGHT plays it far too safe, relying on nostalgia rather than genuine storytelling. It's an enjoyable enough night out if you're looking for a concert-like experience, but it completely misses the opportunity to be a piece of thoughful dynamic theatre.

For me this was a disappointing disco at the Charing Cross Theatre, but as ever I urge you to make up your own mind. GET DOWN TONIGHT continues performances until Saturday 15th November. Click here to check availability and to book tickets.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one person.

My ticket for this performance of Get Down Tonight was gifted by Mobius Theatre who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.

CAST LIST:

Ross Harmon as Harry; Adam Taylor as Orly; Paige Fenlon as Dee; Annabelle Terry as Gina; Aaron Archer as Ensemble; Eve Drysdale as Ensemble; Rachael Kendall Brown as Ensemble; Finley Oliver as Ensemble

RUNNING TIME (approx):

1 hour 30 minutes, with no interval

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