Shamrock Tenors Review

Written by Jennie for Theatre and Tonic.

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review. All opinions are our own.

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There could be no doubt, walking into the Adelphi Theatre last night, that the Shamrock Tenors West End debut was going to be warmly welcomed. The queue outside stretched down the Strand, and the mix of English and Irish accents told you just how many people came here not just for a taste of Irish culture, but for a taste of home. 

That was part of what made it so magical. This was a crowd which mixed newcomers with audiences who knew every word of the more classic folk songs - people singing ‘No Never, No More’ in recognition as even just the first notes of music began - but by the end, we were all singing in the choruses of every song. It reminds you that folk music is meant to be a collective experience - is meant to be clapped along to, danced to and yelled out in a tipsy crowd, and that is something which the Shamrock Tenors infuse every moment of their performance with. Even in a typical West End theatre, they could make you feel like you were singing in a bar in Ireland. 

This atmosphere was in no small part created by the genuine sense of camaraderie on stage, not just between the tenors themselves, but with their truly incredible band too. The warmth and joy they shared radiated off-stage; their love of this music was infectious, their delivery of it, flawless.

Some of the most joyful moments also came from how they highlighted the specifically Irish instruments they used, such as the incredibly impressive Bodhrán solo in the first half of the show. They had the perfect balance of lively songs that get you out of your seat dancing and clapping, such as ‘Whiskey in the Jar’, and beautifully harmonised more sombre classics, such as ‘Danny Boy’ or, my personal favourite, ‘The Parting Glass’. More than a few audience members were caught wiping a tear from their eye at more than one point in the evening, but it would be just moments before they’d be on their feet shouting along to their favourite tunes again. 

Another particularly unique and wonderful part of the evening came from Jimmy Johnston’s original songs, which more than justified their place in this line up of classics.

This show was also far more than a few folk songs sung by the same five lads and their band; they had a host of incredible Northern Irish guests with them too; they had beautiful solos from London theatre favourite Fra Fee (Les Miserables, King Lear) and Jasmine Gardiner in her West End debut, and the performance was interspersed with Irish Dance from the award-winning Unity Irish Dance Company and from the (at times very adorable) London-based Cara-Gael Irish Dance School. 

If I were to sum the night up in one word it would be uplifting - it was so easy to leave all your stress and troubles at the door, and lose yourself in the jubilant performance the Shamrock Tenors gave us. Personally, it reminded me how long it has been since I listened to Irish music, the music of my grandparents, and how important it is for us to share in music which made to be a shared experience. When they come back, as they surely will, I cannot recommend them enough.

 ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆