Just For One Day celebrates 40 years since music united the world.
Following a sold-out run at The Old Vic, JUST FOR ONE DAY – The Live Aid Musical is back in London, playing at the Shaftesbury Theatre.
Yesterday saw the 40th anniversary of the the infamous global coming together of musicians for two iconic concerts, staged and broadcast in real time on 13 July 1985.
After seeing a news report on TV about the people of Ethiopia, dying of starvation, Boomtown Rats singer Bob Geldof, enlisted the help of Ultravox singer Midge Ure, to write and record the song “Do They Know It’s Christmas” to raise money to help the famine, under the name of Band Aid.
The single was a success, raising over 8 million pounds but much of this got eaten up in government taxes (thanks to Margaret Thatcher who eventually succumbed to Bob Geldoff’s persistence and gave the money back). The food that did make it across the sea was held up by rebel groups on arrival because a prior agreement had not been made to allow it to come in to the country and much of it may have perished (although this has since been rebunked).
Angry and determined to rectify the situation, Bob Geldoff went on live television to announce a huge live concert would be streamed live to TV sets around the world from two stadiums, one in London and one in Philadelphia. He boasted of acts like Elton John, U2 and even Madonna being onboard (they weren’t) making it a concert no artist wanted to miss out on performing at – or at least a concert Bob Geldoff wouldn’t let anyone say no to!
The story is told through the eyes of a modern day mother, Suzanne (played by Melissa Jacques), seeing her daughter, Jemma (Fayth Ifil) off to university and sending her on her way with a book all about Live Aid. She recounts the monumental moment in history and her story of how she got there and how she helped to fight for change.
What is important here isn’t the show, it is the awareness being raised for an issue that is still with us today. In 2023 it was reported that 150 million people are still dying of starvation in Africa.
10% from the sale of all tickets for Just For One Day are being donated directly to The Band Aid Charitable Trust and this has already raised £1 billion, showing the power that can come from live theatre.
But sadly, the musical does feel more like a vanity project than a political protest and call for change.
Nowhere around the Shaftesbury Theatre were QR codes or anything to suggest people could donate, nor did anyone ask if I would like to add £1 on top of the price of my bottle of water (it was a matinee so no wine) at the bar which felt like a real missed opportunity and a lack of consideration to actually raising funds for the cause.
Had a QR code been projected on to the stage during the interval, or if at the curtain call the cast asked everyone to take out there phone and donate anything they can, I am sure huge amounts would be being raised in addition to the percentage of ticket sales.
With hit songs by Bob Dylan, David Bowie, The Who, U2, Queen, Madonna, The Police, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Diana Ross and more of the iconic artists who made history at simultaneous charitable concerts in London and Philadelphia, Just For One Day has some great music but a muddled story that doesn’t seem to know if it is reminiscing or on a psychedelic episode but really it doesn’t matter.
Julie Atherton steals the show as Margaret Thatcher and her performance is worth the ticket price alone.
Go and see Just For One Day – not because it’s an amazing piece of theatre, but because it is a vital story being told about the state of the world we live in and how we can’t just bury our heads in the sand and think it will go away.
Reviewed by West End Wilma
