Review Roundup: Lily Allen Brings WEST END GIRL Tour to North America

Lily Allen is now on the road with her concert tour for West End Girl, her critically acclaimed album that arrived at the end of last year. The live show sees the performer present an elaborate extravaganza that taps into Allen's theatricality and that of her album, which has a definite narrative.

Allen is, of course, no stranger to the theater, having previously appeared in sold-out runs of 2:22 A Ghost Story (Olivier nomination) and The Pillowman, in addition to a recent starring role in a new adaptation of Ibsen's domestic tragedy Hedda Gabler.

With the first round of her European dates now completed, she has arrived across the pond for North American performances. This past week, she performed for New York audiences with stops at Radio City Music Hall and Brooklyn's King Theatre. Find out what critics think of her concert, titled "Lily Allen Performs West End Girl," in our roundup below. The city for each review is noted. 

West End Girl was released on October 24 via BMG. It tells the story of a married woman, chronicling the ups and downs of a relationship journey. The record is Allen's first in seven years, and features 14 brand new songs, including the title song, "Madeline," and more. During an interview on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the musician confirmed that a theatrical adaptation of "West End Girl" is currently in development in London.

Chicago

Selena Fragassi, Chicago Sun-Times: "The album itself is a gripping play-by-play of the nuptial breakdown, a series of events that starts with the husband asking for an open marriage to the wife finding sex toy collateral and hearing from the other woman, “Madeline.” But the theatrical interpretation is an even more intimate and voyeuristic attempt at art imitating life, allowing viewers to sit with the pain alongside Allen."

Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune: "Merging her roles as pop chanteuse and actor in the North American debut of her “Performs West End Girl” tour, the singer-songwriter presided over a unique one-woman show that chronicled her smash “West End Girl” concept album from start to finish at an event that shared far more in common with theatrical presentations than traditional concerts."

Toronto

Heather Taylor-Singh, Billboard Canada: "The show felt more like a play in London's West End than a standard concert. Everyone stayed seated the whole time, soaking up Allen's captivating presence. The stage is built to resemble an apartment — a bed, pink fridge, rotary telephone, velvet chair and a series of vintage lamps are meticulously placed and thoughtfully moved throughout the show to detail the narrative of Allen’s story."

Tristan Grajales, Exclaim!: While the concept of a one-woman play served the album's narrative, it didn't always translate seamlessly to a concert experience. To maintain a cohesive storyline, Allen skipped her older hits and performed only the new album in the exact order of the tracklist, making the absence of crowd favourites like "Smile," "F*ck You," and "Who'd Have Known" hard to overlook.

Boston

Maura Johnston, Boston Globe: "The story “West End Girl” tells is an all-too-familiar one, as evidenced by the supportive shouts and raucous cheers of Saturday’s crowd — but Allen’s version of it is a showcase for both her singular authorial voice and honeyed instrument."

Mary Nordmann, Boston.com: "That may sound like a downer, but Allen’s performance was anything but. Throughout the night, the British electropop singer/songwriter created an atmosphere that was therapeutic and open for the ecstatic audience lucky enough to be present for the first of her two shows at the Orpheum Theatre."

New York (Radio City Music Hall)

John Curley, Goldmine Magazine: "The Dallas Minor Trio’s 30-minute set was followed by a 25-minute interval after which Allen took the stage to a deafening roar from the crowd. Allen is not performing with a band on this tour. She sings the lead vocal parts live to a prerecorded soundtrack. And that worked well in her show because all attention was focused on her, what she was singing and how she was moving around the stage."

Photo Credit: Charlie Denis