Review: JUST FOR ONE DAY, Shaftesbury Theatre

If there's one concert that nearly everyone, regardless of their age, wishes they were able to attend, it's Live Aid. Featuring over 70 of the era's greatest artists, performing simultaneously at venues in London and Philadelphia, it's estimated that close to 40% of the world's population tuned in to the big event. This meant that organisers Bob Geldof and Midge Ure helped to raise hundreds of millions of pounds for the 1983-85 Ethiopian famine.

Now, nearly 40 years later, the event has been brought to life in a stage production aptly titled Just For One Day. While a beat-by-beat recreation of the concert would likely have gone down a treat (especially considering the powerhouse vocals of every cast member), the show builds a narrative of its own, largely focusing on how the event came to be.

It begins with Suzanne (the comedic Melissa Jacques), preparing to send her daughter, Jemma (Fayth Ifil), off to university, where she will study history. Suzanne uses this to share with her daughter a time when she felt she made a positive contribution to history - Live Aid. This summons a somewhat fantastical version of Geldof, who is quick to dismiss 'Gobby Jemma's' criticisms of Live Aid not changing a thing, by showing her exactly what the event achieved.

From this somewhat fluffy or clichéd start, the narrative picks up, and we begin to see how Live Aid became the event known across the world. We follow not only Geldof but also the 'normal' people around him, such as sound designers, event planners, and even concert-goers,  whose contribution to the event was largely ignored.

Craige Els steps so seamlessly into the role of Geldof that seeing him stand beside the man himself during bows is somewhat jarring. In a part that could easily become nothing more than mimicry, he brings a lot of heart and sincerity that makes you root for him. He's paired nicely with both Tim Mahendran as Harvey Goldsmith, who earns the biggest laughs of the night, and George Ure (no relation) as Midge Ure, who delivers a stunning rendition of Vienna.

While the book is somewhat clunky, the music elevates the peice to new heights. Featuring over 30 songs from the event itself, it's a jukebox musical with real style and heart. While some songs feel shoe-horned in, they're performed with such energy that you're willing to forgive the slip in fluidity. In addition, this is one of the most talented ensembles I've seen in a long time, with stand-out performances from Jordan Cambridge-Taylor, Emily Ooi, and Freddie Love.

While Jemma's earlier convictions, tongue-in-cheek digs at the event, and lyrics in songs such as Do They Know It's Christmas hint at an awareness of some of the criticism Live Aid received, it's not nearly as fleshed out as it could be. Perhaps this could be resolved by spending more time with Red Cross worker Amara (the talented Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky), who is working in Ethiopia at the time of the concert. Instead, it feels as though we're drawing attention to generational divides for the sake of a few millennial/boomer jokes instead of making more sincere commentary.

That being said, Just For One Day is a real gem of a show, with slick choreography, a fantastic score, and pitch-perfect vocals. It is something audiences are sure to enjoy.

Just For One Day is at the Shaftesbury Theatre until 10 January 2026.

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