Memphis the Musical

Several months ago I was asked to take rehearsal photographs for the brilliant new musical Memphis.

Memphis stars Beverley Knight, who is possibly one the nicest people I have ever photographed. I took this portrait of Beverley several months before rehearsals started when she met up with David Bryan to promote the show. Music and some of the lyrics were written by David Bryan (below), whose other job is the keyboardist in Bon Jovi. David did not disappoint, looking every inch the rock star, whilst being very friendly and regaling us with great stories of life on the road.

Please click on the thumbnails to see larger images.

I covered several of the rehearsals, including the opening day read through, singing classes, scenes between the leads and ensemble choreography. The dancers on this show are incredible and watching Sergio Trujillo and Edgar Godineaux whip them into shape was a privilege.

The show is fantastic, it's inspired by true events in the 1950s and tells the story of music and love breaking down barriers in the deeply segregated city of Memphis. It looks and sounds stunning, with some of the slickest dancing and best vocals I have heard in a long time. Beverley Knight is sensational, I knew she had a fantastic voice but to see her belting out the tunes whilst dancing and acting her socks off is remarkable. But it isn't a one woman show, all of the cast are talented and I was particularly impressed by Rolan Bell (above) who plays Delray .