TINA – The Tina Turner Musical
The Palace Theatre, Manchester
27th November 2025
Fresh from an epic stint in the West End, TINA: The Tina Turner Musical storms into the Palace Theatre, Manchester, celebrating the legendary singer’s extraordinary journey with powerhouse performances and iconic songs.
Before the story even begins, the curtain rises, and Tina sits alone in a spotlight, her back turned to the audience. It’s an arresting, intimate moment that immediately draws you in and sets the tone for everything that follows. The energy then hits from the first beat of Nutbush City Limits, staged as a gospel church scene with the remarkable Sophia St Louis as young Tina, and it never dips. With 23 songs powering the show, it’s a full-throttle jukebox musical.
Jochebel Ohene MacCarthy is magnetic in the title role, her voice gritty, soaring, and utterly raw, capturing every flicker of Tina’s fire. She commands the stage with total authority; every movement radiates charisma.
The supporting cast is superb. Tina’s journey through the years is beautifully charted, the scenes with Ike Turner (played wonderfully by David King-Yombo) are filled with tension, and the family moments are grounded with warmth and flashes of humour. There is also genuine heartbreak in the fractured relationship with her mother, contrasted with the tenderness of her bond with her grandmother and her later meeting with second husband Erwin Bach, played tenderly by William Beckerleg.
Musically, the show is electric. Tina’s greatest hits are woven tightly into the narrative, What’s Love Got to Do with It?, Simply the Best, and more, each delivered with emotional precision and explosive energy. The choreography is infectious, the rhythm irresistible, and visually the production shines: slick costumes, striking lighting, and dynamic projections transport us from small-town Nutbush to the neon glare of global stardom.
Several moments linger long after the curtain falls. Tina’s decision to leave Ike is a gut-punch, quiet, powerful, and deeply human. And Proud Mary is a tour de force, a storm of lights, music, and choreography that turns the Palace Theatre into a roaring arena.
By the finale, the audience is on its feet, swept up in Tina’s story of resilience and triumph. The journey from struggle to empowerment is exhilarating, leaving you uplifted and breathless. TINA is loud, proud, and utterly brilliant, a tribute to an icon whose spirit refuses to dim.
I’ve been waiting for this show to come to Manchester, and it didn’t disappoint. I walked into the Palace Theatre expecting a fun night out and left with every chorus ringing in my head. The Tina Turner Musical is a full-blown, heart-pounding celebration of the original queen of rock ‘n’ roll. If you love Tina Turner, great music, or theatre that sends a pulse through your chest and rhythm through your feet, this show is unmissable. It’s the kind of night that leaves you ready to roll on the river….. or at least down the streets of Manchester.
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The show in Manchester runs from Tue 25 Nov 2025 – Sat 3 Jan 2026: Tickets can be purchased here:
Presented in association with Tina Turner, written by Olivier Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Katori Hall (The Mountaintop) and directed by the internationally acclaimed Phyllida Lloyd (Mamma Mia!)
Directed by Phyllida Lloyd – from the book by Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar, and Kees Prins, Choreographer -Anthony Van Laast, Set & Costume Designer- Mark Thomson, Lighting Designer – Bruno Poet, Projection Designer – Jeff Sugg, Hair, Wigs; Make Up Designer – Campbell Young, International Associate Director – Katherine Hare, International Associate Choreographer – Simone Mistry -Palmer
Press photos provided – credit Johan Persson
Words by Melanie Smith – Louder Than War | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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