Alfie Boe and Michael Ball, the iconic music duo who both began their careers in musical theatre, have powerful voices that deserve no less than a huge sold-out arena. This was what they had on Sunday the 1st of March, as they took to the stage to perform a fantastic setlist of duets and solo numbers, creating a concert that was both moving and entertaining.

Ball and Boe gave a taster of the high energy and stunning harmonies that they would continue to showcase for the rest of the evening

The pair both have special connections with Birmingham, with Ball explaining to the audience that he was born in Bromsgrove, whilst Boe launched his career at the Alexandra Theatre. Making their first appearance to ‘The Greatest Show’ from the iconic musical-film, Ball and Boe gave a taster of the high energy and stunning harmonies that they would continue to showcase for the rest of the evening.

In addition to more flamboyant numbers, the pair also delivered several slower pieces sitting on stools, such as Christina Perri’s ‘A Thousand Years.’ It was particularly special to hear them perform more typical pop songs, adding a classical twist. This section of the show also saw them cover an original song, ‘Army’, from their most recent album, which impressed the audience with its heartfelt message about family.

During numbers, complex visuals appeared on the big screen, for example presenting the singers through a retro filter, or showcasing calligraphy from their lyrics. Whilst I felt that this wasn’t always necessary to accompany their distinct voices, it provided several poignant moments. A performance of ‘Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again’ from the Phantom of the Opera was accompanied by virtual candle-light, which created a moving atmosphere.

The pair also performed a song from Les Miserables each, according to the roles they played in the West-End production

The pair also separated for a couple solo numbers, with Alfie Boe’s rendition of ‘Run’ forming a highlight of the evening. The audience responded with turning on their phone torches so that the arena became illuminated as Boe scored impressive high notes. The pair also performed a song from Les Miserables each, according to the roles they played in the West-End production: Ball with ‘Stars’ and Boe with ‘Bring Him Home.’ These performances really captured the performative aspect of the numbers, with both expertly portraying the characters, earning standing ovations from the audience. 

A band of backing singers with both classical and modern instruments meant that each number was perfectly accompanied, and the pair were able to incorporate every member of their team into certain large numbers. For instance, they welcomed back their support art Shaun Escoffery, who has previously played Mufasa in the Lion King, to assist with their ‘Lion King Medley.’ This was a particularly vibrant performance, with colourful visuals and the chorus covering the varied backing vocals.

I had expected the standard of the vocals to be so high, but had not anticipated just how entertaining the performance would be. The pair managed the difficult task of engaging a whole arena, particularly within their encore of the ‘Grease Megamix’. Whilst this departed from their usual genre of sophisticated show-tunes, it seemed a perfectly fitting end to the show as it encouraged the audience to sing along, with many fans moving towards the stage to dance. This meant that the audience left the venue feeling as if they’d witnessed a true celebration of musical talent, and had fun along the way.