Tina The Tina Turner Musical Playhouse Theatre Edinburgh 12th November 2025 Review
TINA The Tina Turner Musical is at the Playhouse Theatre Edinburgh until Saturday 22 November, and if you are a Tina Turner fan then the chances are that you have already booked your seat for this show some time ago.
One thing to make clear about this show is that it is not a quick “cash-in” on the death of Tina Turner (May 24th 2023), but instead one that was created with her creative input and personal approval before its premiere opening in 2018. As you would expect, this show is in the “jukebox musical” format, but it is imaginatively enough written to raise it well above the usual basic tribute act production that a show like this can all too easily fall into.
A big part of the reason for this show having some substance is of course the source material itself, the true life story of a young girl, Anna Mae Bullock (aka Tina Turner), born in the small town Nutbush, Tennessee. This is Anna/Tina’s story, and I make this distinction because it is clear in this show that although they are the same person, Anna and Tina are two very different people, one the daughter, sister, for many years wife of Ike Turner, and the other the on-stage performer and eventual global superstar. If this story of a young girl’s rise to fame, fall from that spotlight, and eventual re-birth to even greater fame was not a true one, then someone would have had to write it anyhow.
Another reason for this production being so interesting, so imaginative in its use of songs, and its high production values is the people involved in its creation. These are simply some of the best in their respective fields, including Olivier Award and Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Katori Hall (The Mountaintop), and directed by Phyllida Lloyd (Mamma Mia!).
Whoever has the lead role in this show is going to have the opportunity to perform some instantly recognisable songs, including from the earlier years, “Nutbush City Limits” and “River Deep Mountain High”. Nice too to hear “Tina Turner” covers of “Disco Inferno” and “I Can’t Stand the Rain” included in the songs for this show. However, trying to put your own individuality on them as a performer must be a difficult task for anyone. Tonight, Elle Ma-Kinga N'Zuzi as Tina Turner had the musical talent to do these songs justice onstage in Tina style, but with a lot of her own input in there too. Elle Ma-Kinga N'Zuzi also had the dramatic ability to make the many personal scenes in this story believable.
This story starts with Tina Turner the superstar about to go on-stage (we do not know where or when yet) and very quickly takes us right back to a young Anna Mae Bullock (Lola McCourtie ) singing in church, and from this point on this show becomes a story that draws you into Anna/Tina’s world.
This is not just the story of Tina Turner, but her mother Zelma (Letitia Hector), father Richard (Rushand Chambers), Sister (Georgia Gillam) and of course Ike Turner (David King-Yombo). There are some nice supporting performances in here from everyone and all of these personal interactions are what gives this story its real power as it is so often the actions of the people around Tina Turner that have shaped her as a person and the decisions that she made.
The life story of Tina Turner is a well-known one to many people, not just the fans, but even then there are more than a few shock moments here. Some of them belong to Tina, but also some of Ike’s memories of growing up in Memphis and of his father simply make uncomfortable listening and are a reminder of truths that many people still hope will just go away (if they look the other way).
Tina, the musical, is obviously a show about the music, and in particular that one iconic rebirth of a career album “Private Dancer”, but it is far more than just that, it is a message to any woman (or man) who finds themselves trapped in a physically or emotionally abusive relationship (or both) that if you have the courage to somehow find that inner strength within yourself there is a way out, that you can overcome this, and become a stronger person at the end of it all.
There are no prizes for guessing what the big closing song on Tina finally taking to the stage is in this show.
Review by Tom King © 2025
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
One thing to make clear about this show is that it is not a quick “cash-in” on the death of Tina Turner (May 24th 2023), but instead one that was created with her creative input and personal approval before its premiere opening in 2018. As you would expect, this show is in the “jukebox musical” format, but it is imaginatively enough written to raise it well above the usual basic tribute act production that a show like this can all too easily fall into.
A big part of the reason for this show having some substance is of course the source material itself, the true life story of a young girl, Anna Mae Bullock (aka Tina Turner), born in the small town Nutbush, Tennessee. This is Anna/Tina’s story, and I make this distinction because it is clear in this show that although they are the same person, Anna and Tina are two very different people, one the daughter, sister, for many years wife of Ike Turner, and the other the on-stage performer and eventual global superstar. If this story of a young girl’s rise to fame, fall from that spotlight, and eventual re-birth to even greater fame was not a true one, then someone would have had to write it anyhow.
Another reason for this production being so interesting, so imaginative in its use of songs, and its high production values is the people involved in its creation. These are simply some of the best in their respective fields, including Olivier Award and Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Katori Hall (The Mountaintop), and directed by Phyllida Lloyd (Mamma Mia!).
Whoever has the lead role in this show is going to have the opportunity to perform some instantly recognisable songs, including from the earlier years, “Nutbush City Limits” and “River Deep Mountain High”. Nice too to hear “Tina Turner” covers of “Disco Inferno” and “I Can’t Stand the Rain” included in the songs for this show. However, trying to put your own individuality on them as a performer must be a difficult task for anyone. Tonight, Elle Ma-Kinga N'Zuzi as Tina Turner had the musical talent to do these songs justice onstage in Tina style, but with a lot of her own input in there too. Elle Ma-Kinga N'Zuzi also had the dramatic ability to make the many personal scenes in this story believable.
This story starts with Tina Turner the superstar about to go on-stage (we do not know where or when yet) and very quickly takes us right back to a young Anna Mae Bullock (Lola McCourtie ) singing in church, and from this point on this show becomes a story that draws you into Anna/Tina’s world.
This is not just the story of Tina Turner, but her mother Zelma (Letitia Hector), father Richard (Rushand Chambers), Sister (Georgia Gillam) and of course Ike Turner (David King-Yombo). There are some nice supporting performances in here from everyone and all of these personal interactions are what gives this story its real power as it is so often the actions of the people around Tina Turner that have shaped her as a person and the decisions that she made.
The life story of Tina Turner is a well-known one to many people, not just the fans, but even then there are more than a few shock moments here. Some of them belong to Tina, but also some of Ike’s memories of growing up in Memphis and of his father simply make uncomfortable listening and are a reminder of truths that many people still hope will just go away (if they look the other way).
Tina, the musical, is obviously a show about the music, and in particular that one iconic rebirth of a career album “Private Dancer”, but it is far more than just that, it is a message to any woman (or man) who finds themselves trapped in a physically or emotionally abusive relationship (or both) that if you have the courage to somehow find that inner strength within yourself there is a way out, that you can overcome this, and become a stronger person at the end of it all.
There are no prizes for guessing what the big closing song on Tina finally taking to the stage is in this show.
Review by Tom King © 2025
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com