The intersection between soul music and musical theatre is wider than one may think. Recent and upcoming UK productions such as Memphis, Dreamgirls, Caroline, Or Change, and The Color Purple all feature original scores which draw heavily on soul and gospel. Especially in recent years, British musical theatre has become much more accommodating of vocalists whose origins lie in the church.
Rachel John is one of them. I first saw John at a performance of the musical Memphis at the Shaftesbury Theatre. John was cast as Beverley Knight’s alternate in the lead role of Felicia Farrell; she took over the principal role after Knight’s departure. As well as stints in We Will Rock You and The Bodyguard, John also performed the role of Shug Avery in the Cadogan Hall’s spectacular ‘one-night-only’ production of The Color Purple in May 2017. And of course: she received an Olivier-nomination for her recent role as Angelica Schuyler in the original London cast of Hamilton.
As part of the Shaw Theatre’s ‘Singing at the Shaw‘ series – curated by artistic director Wayne Glover-Stuart – John will be performing her first solo concert. John and musical director Stefan Brown will be transporting the audience ‘to a world of church and soul‘. Listen below to John’s spirited and vocally flawless rendition of ‘Precious Lord, Take My Hand/You’ve Got a Friend’, as recorded by the late Aretha Franklin.
Rachel John is performing at the Shaw Theatre on 28th April. You can buy tickets here!
(Image copyright: Rachel John and Shaw Theatre)
