The Simon and Garfunkel Story at the Lyric Theatre

I need to start this review with a disclaimer….I am not a Simon & Garfunkel fanatic, prior to the show ask me to name more than 2 of their songs I would have struggled however ‘Daddy Musical Theatre Musings’ who accompanied me is a fan. It was therefore an interesting experience to see the show from both perspectives!

The Simon and Garfunkel Story is essentially a tribute act, they sing through a huge amount of hits chronologically whilst giving snippets of the backstory behind the music. They are not only accompanied by your traditional band (guitar, bass and drums) but they added in a brass ensemble to help fill the West End venue in some of the numbers.

Whilst the show is essentially a tribute act, they are a very good one! Philip Murray Warson and Charles Blyth take on the roles of Simon and Garfunkel themselves. Not only do they look remarkably similar to the duo but they sound they produce is remarkably uncanny. Whilst all of the numbers were sang beautifully in their style, my highlights were the opening of the show ‘Sound of Silence’ and the encore ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ (What else could the encore possibly be). That being said some of the lesser known numbers (at least to me) were performed well. Warson and Blyth also had a nice charisma about them and their patter between songs was pitched just right.

Despite not being a mega fan I genuinely enjoyed the show. Not only were you able to appreciate the musical talent of Warson and Blyth as well as their fellow on stage musicians but I recognised and enjoyed far more song than I expected to. That being said the audience was packed with fans and they were on their feet throughout the night – pumping fists at appropriate beats in the music and uttering audibly, ‘oh I love this one’ throughout the show.

By the end of the show the entire theatre were on their feet. For a fan it must be a trip down memory lane, served justly by Warson & Blyth. Even for fans of music and the arts generally it was an enjoyable night out and a chance to hear talented musicians at work whilst learning more about an iconic duo.

Further dates have been released for The Simon and Garfunkel Story at the Lyric Theatre as well as a national tour in 2018. Visit their website to find out more.

If you liked this review you might also like my review of All or Nothing and Son of a Preacher Man.