It is no easy task to recreate legendary British rock band Queen, led by the uniquely quirky and charismatic Freddie Mercury on lead vocals and piano. The four piece tribute act showcased a selection of Queen’s best known and lesser known songs capturing the distinct fusion of progressive rock and operatic parody with elements of heavy metal.

A large crowd of fans gathered around the glimmering State Theatre entrance doors, made up of die hard Queen fans of the 70’s and 80’s through to whole families of second and third generation Queen fanatics. The ornate and majestic State Theatre was transformed into a rock concert hall featuring a grungy, stripped-back stage with elevated drum kit platform centre stage.  

Starring the energetic Giles Taylor as Freddie Mercury, audience members were invited to stand up, clap and dance from the get go but took a while to warm up; it seemed that the formality of the venue didn’t lend itself so well to the participatory, laidback style of a rock concert. Fortunately the band’s excellent musicianship alongside dramatic lighting design and Giles’ wonderfully camp costumes, made for an engaging and impressive show.

Sporting Freddie’s iconic white pants and singlet combo, Giles lead the crowd through classics such as Radio Gaga, Bicycle Race, We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions. Costumes became increasingly more extravagant with a tassel-adorned leather jacket and matching pants. Giles believably impersonated Mercury’s stage mannerisms from spirited high claps and strong fist pumps through to subtle leg pops and eccentric cross-stage struts.

Lead guitarist Richie Baker was incredibly nimble and effortlessly cool, supported by the driving bass lines of solid and sometimes mischievous Steven Dennett. Drummer Kyle Thompson performed as Queen’s Roger Taylor with a standout drum solo, also demonstrating exceptional vocal skills and range.

True to Queen’s original arrangements, Bicycle Race, Somebody To Love and Bohemian Rhapsody featured tight and punchy harmonies. Mercury’s uniquely theatrical and melodramatic delivery was captured by Giles’ microphone prop interactions and notably the outrageous cross-dressing rendition of I Want To Break Free. Giles literally ‘broke free’ into the audience stalls, hilariously sitting on the lap of a middle-aged gentleman who certainly wasn’t complaining!

Overall, two hour tribute show Queen – It’s A Kinda Magic successfully captured a high energy and outlandish Freddie Mercury with strong stage presence and natural chemistry amongst band members. It would have been interesting to hear a little bit of context and history around some songs or instead have a clear directorial choice to either break the fourth wall or not.