If you love the classic hits of Motown, you will enjoy this show at the Edinburgh Playhouse

If you are a fan of Motown music head along to the Edinburgh Playhouse as there is a fantastic show on that soul fans won't want to miss.
A scene from Motown The Musical featuring The Supremes. Pic: Tristram Kenton.A scene from Motown The Musical featuring The Supremes. Pic: Tristram Kenton.
A scene from Motown The Musical featuring The Supremes. Pic: Tristram Kenton.

With music and lyrics from the Motown catalogue and book by Motown founder Berry Gordy, Charles Randolph-Wright’s production features a live orchestra playing all the best Motown tracks including Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, I’ll Be There, Dancing In The Street, Stop! In The Name Of Love, My Girl and I Heard It through the Grapevine, and tells the story behind the classic hits.

Berry Gordy was the man behind the Motown success story - bringing in a wide range of black artists to cross over into the mainstream in the Sixties and Seventies. In so doing, Motown broke down barriers and fought against the odds to create something more than a record label. In the process it transformed race-relations.

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With just $800 borrowed from his family, Berry Gordy founded Motown Records and launched the careers of legendary artists including Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, The Temptations, and many more.

Motown The Musical is jam-packed with all the classic Motown songs. Pic: Tristram Kenton.Motown The Musical is jam-packed with all the classic Motown songs. Pic: Tristram Kenton.
Motown The Musical is jam-packed with all the classic Motown songs. Pic: Tristram Kenton.

Edward Baruwa is excellent in the leading role of ‘Berry Gordy’ and he is joined by Karis Anderson as ‘Diana Ross’, Nathan Lewis as ‘Smokey Robinson’ and Shak Gabbidon-Williams as ‘Marvin Gaye’ in the production.

Karis Anderson is best known as being one third of pop band ‘Stooshe’ who celebrated a top five single ‘Black Heart’ in 2012 for which they received a nomination for Best British Single at the 2013 Brit Awards.

The singers in this production are fantastic and they really do bring the classic Motown hits to life - Stop! In The Name of Love was a particular highlight as well as Dancing In The Street. The costumes are stunning too and they along with the choreography, set design, hair and make-up really bring back memories of the heady days of the 60s and 70s when radios played the famous Motown hits.

There are over 50 Motown classics all packed into this high energy production which is on at the Edinburgh Playhouse until December 8.