Arts:Blog

Theatre Review: Tina--The Tina Turner Musical ****

Michael Cox reviews ‘a terrific mix of music and stagecraft, honouring one of pop music’s icons’.

Tina—The Tina Turner Musical constantly reminds us that the real woman offstage is Anna Mae Bullock, a rural girl from a poor family in Tennessee. Anna Mae had a gift as a child, she just didn’t have the parental support or financial means to follow her dream—at first. Her shot came from teaming with the influential pop icon Ike Turner, who would rename her stage persona ‘Tina Turner’.

The first half of the musical looks at Anna Mae’s early rise, focusing mostly on her work with Ike Turner: their collaborations, their marriage and her eventual eclipsing of him. Stories of Ike Turner’s obvious talent has rightfully taken a backseat to reports of emotional and physical explosions, with Anna Mae being a primary target of abuse.

The second half jumps to the 80s. Anna Mae has left Ike but is still haunted by the man—and her musical association with him. Her attempts to break free from being a Las Vegas act and do something fresh will historically result in the highly influential album Private Dancer, but to achieve this she must escape the shadow of Ike—as well as institutional racism and sexism. No points in guessing which song marks the end of the journey before the curtain call.

Told through many of Turner’s most popular songs, the nearly three-hour show is both a biography and a celebration. For those with little to no knowledge of who the star Tina Turner is, the musical will certainly give a decent crash course. Those who do know the basics, however, will find little new here. The writing of the musical’s book also has nothing on the terrific 1993 film What’s Love Got to Do with It—a vastly superior retelling of the Ike and Tina Turner story. The second half is much better as it is more focused on Anna Mae’s attempt to become her own person—and a much more powerful ‘Tina Turner’ on stage.

Dealing with such a powerful performer as ‘Tina Turner’ requires the right casting. For this current UK tour, the role has been split between three women: Elle Ma-Kinga N’Zuzi and Jochebel Ohene MacCarthy share the role, with Bree Smith serving as an alternative. At the performance reviewed, the role was played by Ohene MacCarthy—and she was excellent. She didn’t give a mere tribute performance but full-blooded embodiment of the human as well as the singer. Some of her strongest moments aren’t in the singing of songs but in the acting of scenes.

The rest of the ensemble are equally strong, with most having at least one key role in the story. David King-Yombo stands out as the tour de force Ike, but the rest of the company impress with their singing and acting.

But this is, as it should be, Tina’s show. And while some audiences might have convinced themselves they’ve bought tickets to a tribute act and not a piece of musical theatre, the ticket is nonetheless well spent on a terrific mix of music and stagecraft, honouring one of pop music’s icons. All hail ‘The Queen of Rock n Roll’, and much kudos to the hard-working company who have vividly brought her life to stage.

Tina—The Tina Turner Musical performs at the King’s Theatre in Glasgow until October 4, 2025. It then continues its UK until 2026 with a stop at the Edinburgh Playhouse (November 11-22, 2025). For further details, go to the production tour’s website.

Photos by Johan Persson.