Many moons ago, my dad took me and my brother to see Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express. We were instantly hooked. We loved it so much we went back multiple times and we wore out that cassette tape, singing along to the songs on repeat in Dad’s car.
I remember thinking how awesome and captivating it was; roller-skating trains, neon lights, epic tunes. It was pure magic.
Now, I’ve always taken my girls to the theatre since they were about 3. They’ve seen everything from a CBeebies “Meet the Veggies” show to The Lion King, Swan Lake, Cat in the Hat, and countless pantos. Theatre has always been something we love sharing.
One random afternoon, I had a thought: “Is Starlight Express even still a thing?” Fast forward 30 years… and to my surprise, it was! Back for a limited run, I booked tickets in December for the May performance, beyond excited to relive the magic.
We trained it into London and made our way to the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre. Our Trackside 2 seats were off to the side and slightly elevated not the very best, but still an amazing view. And at the end, when filming was allowed, the cast actually roller-skated past us on their finale lap around the theatre. It was electric!
The show had a few modern tweaks, but the heart was still there – the original songs, characters, and storyline. Honestly, I felt like I’d been transported right back to the ’90s. All those childhood memories came rushing back and yes… I definitely got a bit teary (happy tears!).
Sharing this with my kids, who are now the same age I was when I first saw it, was such a full-circle moment. And they loved it. They were buzzing afterwards, already asking when we can go again.
If your kids love theatre, even just a little bit, this is a show not to miss. It’s exciting, dazzling, and totally unforgettable.
And just to top it all off… I’ve just realised this show has been playing in Bochum, Germany for years! Our German relatives used to live in Witten and I’ve been to Bochum loads of times – what a small world!
