Music icon Tina Turner lived one hell of a life: figuratively and literally. Abandoned by her parents as a young child, horrifically abused by her husband and music partner Ike Turner, financially exploited and racially vilified by the music industry. But she survived and thrived, building an incredible career full of record-breaking hits and mountains of awards.
To put it lightly, Tina went through a lot, and this bio musical tries to cram it all neatly into its bloated three-hour runtime. But with an uninspired book, pacing issues and some questionable directorial choices, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical isn’t simply the best; it’s simply pretty good.
This production originated in London where it opened in 2018, premiered on Broadway a year later and began touring Australia in May 2023 with Melbourne being the last stop. Turner herself oversaw the creation of the show and acted as a producer in collaboration with some theatrical heavyweights, including director Phyllida Lloyd (Mamma Mia!) and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Katori Hall.
Although the onstage story is bookended by her hugely successful performance at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro in 1988, the show mostly follows Turner’s life story in strict chronological order – from her rough upbringing in rural Tennessee, through touring the R&B circuit in the 60s and 70s, surviving domestic abuse and being forgotten by the music industry, to reigniting her career in the 80s.
There’s a lot of ground to cover and while Act One feels long and doesn’t really know when to end, it does have moments of electrifying energy. However, the pace stalls in Act Two as Turner struggles to make ends meet and get a record deal. But, of course, the majority of the audience knows where this is all going, so there’s a lack of dramatic tension and momentum.
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical also struggles to fully investigate the inner life of its subject; we simply watch the events of her life play out on a surface level without a full understanding of her passion for music, her connection to Buddhism or her psychology. If the creators had experimented with the narrative structure and allowed the character more time to reflect on the events, instead of following a rigid chronology, perhaps this theatrical telling of her life could have been more emotionally engaging.
Where this production excels is in the casting and the music. Ruva Ngwenya is a powerhouse force of nature as the singer; it’s a truly transformative performance and a glorious showcase of Ngwenya’s incredible talents. She nails Turner’s distinct vocals and physicality, expertly straddling the line between mimicry and artistic interpretation, and ferociously rises to the challenges of this vocally, emotionally and physically demanding role. After performing the part for more than a year, Ngwenya has crafted an astonishing performance that will be remembered for a very long time.
Giovanni Adams plays Ike Turner with charm and menace, but once he starts showing his abusive side, the writers don’t really know what to do with the character, reducing him to a stereotype of a drug- addicted monster. There’s no denying his behviour is abhorrent, but like the characterisation of Tina, the book doesn’t really allow for any deeper insights into his personality.
Ibinabo Jack plays Tina’s cold and dismissive mother, Zelma, with an effective nastiness and no-nonsense attitude. As Tina’s first love Raymond Hill, local performer Rishab Kern brings warmth and gorgeous vocals to the role, and Jayme-Lee Hanekom shines every time she is on stage, playing both Tina’s sister and one of the Ikettes. The ensemble is fabulous and the group numbers throughout really bring the show to life. Everyone on stage delivers powerful vocals and the band, musical direction and sound design are all perfection. This production throbs with a powerful musical energy; you certainly won’t be disappointed with how it sounds.
At this point it’s important to mention that the musical features several scenes of violence against women and children. This is an integral part of the singer’s life story, and I commend the creative team for not shying away from depicting domestic violence in a big commercial jukebox musical. Initially these moments are powerful and shocking; however, as they continue to happen ad nauseam throughout the first act their impact quickly dissipates, and the awkward artificiality of the fight staging becomes apparent. These moments begin to leave the audience feeling more perplexed than emotionally engaged and I’m sure that is certainly not the intention.
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In the end Tina: The Tina Turner Musical does what we expect it to, but maybe not what we want. We only scratch the surface of who this indomitable woman was. The concert section and encore at the end of the show is thrilling and Ngwenya’s performance is one for the history books, but while I left the theatre with some classic songs ringing in my ear, I still didn’t feel any closer to understanding who the real Tina was.
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical will be performed until 26 January 2025 at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne.
