From Laufey, Bon Jovi, to a man playing 4 instruments at once, Rhapsody 2025 had it all.
Molly Hanya and company kicked things off with an exciting, energetic rendition of the 1986 classic The Final Countdown by Europe; and a countdown to an excellent show it was. Immediately, the audience was captivated.
The Bloomsbury Theatre was taken on a journey in the first half of the show. The show moved from a medley of Anderson .Paak’s album Malibu to the Latin rock band Santana’s Smooth, and ultimately ended up in the Royal Albert Hall, with Raye’s Oscar Winning Tears.
The first half contained many classics such as Laufey’s From the Start, Muse’s Hysteria, and 2014 hit Bang Bang.
The journey was not done yet – the second half began in the Wild West, with a performance of Beyonce’s Daddy Lessons, then to the streets of 80s Tokyo, with a Japanese city pop medley.
Massive cheers were heard when former Students’ Union President Mary McHarg stormed onto the stage following the epic opening riff of Money for Nothing by the Dire Straits.
Following a succession of exciting, upbeat music including Harry Styles and Paramore, the atmosphere was immediately flipped with a beautifully devastating performance of Cellophane by FKA Twigs. Aisha Ahmed-Khan’s performance left many in the audience audibly sniffling and in awe. This was followed by yet another emotive recital of Iris by Goo Goo Dolls.
As the show approached its penultimate performance, the crowd joined in for Bon Jovi’s classic anthem You Give Love a Bad Name.
To finish off this festival of music, Oliver Sykes and his band came on in an appropriately sparkly outfit for Elton’s Saturday Night’s Alright (for Fighting). And boy, was this Saturday night alright.
A special mention must go to producer Celine Effendi, director Ben Vengerik, and the Stage Crew led by Isaac West. The show, especially one with a cast of almost 100 across 18 bands, would simply not be possible without the work behind the scenes.
The night was a great occasion with great music, an epic atmosphere, and a plethora of talent on display.
It is no surprise that the show ended with a standing ovation and the crowd joining the cast in singing Hey Jude by the Beatles.
