Review: A Evening Without Kate Bush at the Birmingham Rep

I can testify Kate Bush was NOT at the Birmingham Rep last night (13 June 2025). She very rarely makes an appearance anywhere these days.  Instead the audience was treated to the next best thing – Sarah-Louise Young in her ultimate fan-girl tribute to the reclusive songstress.

This was no ordinary tribute act but a heady mix of chat, comedy, dance and, of course, Kate’s incredible songbook brought to life in front of us by Sarah-Louise in a quirky, eccentric performance that I am sure Kate would have been proud of.

Sarah-Louise was warm and welcoming to all members of the audience from the outset – acknowledging the presence of super-fans, others like me who affectionately remembered her songs from their childhood or adolescence, youngsters discovering her music for the first time through shows such as ‘Stranger Things’ and also those who had been brought along as a ‘plus-one’ by partners and friends.

We all felt relaxed and at ease and within the first few minutes of the show we found ourselves howling along to the ‘Hounds of Love’. There was some audience participation in the show but nothing too cringey and it was mainly made up of singing parts of the songs from your seat – including my favourite ‘Wuthering Heights’ – and fans telling Sarah-Louise their favourite Kate Bush song.

Sarah-Louise was amazing as Kate – her voice was incredible as she worked her way through Kate’s greatest hits displaying the same soaring notes and plummeting tones that make Kate’s voice so captivatingly beautiful.

She was also fabulous at capturing Kate’s facial expressions and lithe movements as well as imparting facts about Kate’s life – did you know she invented the head mike?

I enjoyed Sarah-Louise’s inventive use of props such as a mop, the skirt she was wearing and torches to act out song lyrics and her explanation and demonstrations of Kate’s signature dance moves.

It may have been An Evening Without Kate Bush but I really didn’t mind at all. Sarah-Louise was ‘Kate Bush’ enough for me! WOW!

Review by Jo Messinger, Editor Wolverhampton & South Staffordshire Raring2go!

Photo credits: Steve Ullathorne & Ed Fielding

For more details about A Evening Without Kate Bush Tour visit www.withoutkatebush.com

 For more details of What’s On at The Birmingham Rep visit www.birmingham-rep.co.uk