Musical joy and finesse on a Friday night

4 hours ago
2 min read

BBC Orchestra. Photo courtesy of the BBC.

Friday Night is Musicals Night with the BBC Orchestra, Butterworth Hall, Warwick Arts Centre on 19 June 2026.

Review by Antony Hopker

BBC’s iconic Friday Night is Music Night arrived at Warwick Arts Centre and put on a treat for the Coventry audience. The long-running show was playing a live show, which will be broadcast in September. If you weren’t there it’s well worth listening to. If you were there, it’s well worth hearing it again.

The highly talented orchestra was fizzing with fun and humour on what was conductor Pete Harrison’s debut in a show covering 80 years of musical theatre highlights.

There were overtures from Gypsy, The King and I, West Side Story (my own favourite from the evening), Funny Girl and Miss Saigon, bringing out the strength of the orchestra in its own right.

And there were songs – solos and duets – from West End stars Jenna Lee James and Michael Xavier. Jenna’s voice in particular held the crowd captivated, soaring over the live music coming from behind them. Don’t Cry for Me Argentina was a particular high point.

Michael – possibly because his voice was lower and competing with the orchestra, or maybe down to sound settings - wasn’t as powerful in the louder moments. But he entranced with some of the more peaceful numbers including Edelweiss, Chess’s Anthem and the theme from Sunset Boulevard, in which he has appeared on the stage.

The wit from Annie Get Your Gun, the macabre and peculiar A Little Priest from Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd, and two songs from Anything Goes all had the audience grinning. The quiet strength of Sun and Moon from Miss Saigon stood out for me, while my companion, a long-time lover of the show, was on the edge of their seat with excitement the entire evening.

And it was fun to see compere and show host Al Ryan recording the links and narration live that will be broadcast. With Jools Holland bringing his rhythm and blues last week and a night dedicated to Nat King Cole coming soon, there’s real strength in the Warwick Arts Centre programme at the moment, and plenty to look forward to heading into the autumn.

See what else is coming up at Warwick Arts Centre: https://www.warwickartscentre.co.uk