Excellent - a worth while musical raising money for the charitable trust
I thoroughly enjoyed Band Aid: The Musical—an emotionally resonant and powerful production that reignites the spirit of compassion and urgency that defined a generation. It masterfully blends music, memory, and message in a way that feels both nostalgic and starkly relevant.
For me, the show stirred deeply held memories of the Ethiopian famine—memories that were seared into my mind by the haunting images shown on the BBC when I was a teenager. Those horrific photos—of starving children and overwhelmed aid workers—never really leave you. The musical doesn’t shy away from that reality, and nor should it. Instead, it confronts it with integrity, reminding audiences of the very human crisis that gave rise to one of the biggest global charity movements in history.
What struck me most, though, was how clearly it celebrated the role of ordinary people. It wasn’t just about celebrities or big fundraising events—it was about everyday individuals stepping up, giving what they could, and helping to save lives. The musical honours that grassroots generosity and the idea that compassion in action, no matter how small, can make a difference.
What made the experience even more meaningful was taking my own children—now young adults—with me. Watching their reaction and seeing them absorb the scale and emotion of what Band Aid set out to do, decades before they were born, was incredibly moving. It created space for conversation—not just about history, but about empathy, activism, and the power of music to bring people together.
The musical strikes a clever balance: it’s uplifting without trivialising the suffering, celebratory without forgetting the cause. For anyone who lived through the original events or wants to share that legacy with the next generation, it’s more than just entertainment—it’s an important reminder of the lives that were saved by ordinary people who chose to care.