I’m Every Woman - The Chaka Khan Musical ★★★ Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre | Jul 22 - Sep 27, 2026


With a career spanning five decades and more than 70 million records sold, Chaka Khan is a legend. From her years with Rufus, which produced classics such as "Tell Me Something Good," "Sweet Thing" and "Ain't Nobody," to solo hits including "I'm Every Woman," "I Feel for You" and "Through the Fire," her catalogue is packed with songs that have become part of the soundtrack of popular music. Add a life shaped by family turmoil, political activism, destructive relationships and addiction, and the ingredients for a compelling musical are all there. Her music provides the soundtrack, her life supplies the drama. On paper, it is an irresistible combination. The show opens with real promise. Chaka confronts her family in a rehabilitation therapy session, attempting to reckon with the addiction that has shaped so much of her life. It is a bold, emotionally charged beginning that suggests this will be far more than a conventional jukebox musical. Sadly, that early promise soon evaporates. The production becomes little more than a chronological clothesline on which songs and key events are hung. Characters remain thinly drawn, much of the dialogue is disappointingly wooden and the parade of celebrity cameos feels more like name dropping than meaningful storytelling. Fortunately, the performances inject the evening with the energy and emotional depth the script too often lacks. Alexandra Burke delivers a commanding performance, capturing both Chaka's blazing stage presence and her emotional fragility. Vocally she is magnificent, dispatching "Higher Love" and "Your Love Is All I Know" with exhilarating power, precision and soul. Sophie Earl almost steals the show with her captivating turn as Joni Mitchell. Her heartfelt rendition of "I Put a Spell on You" is a genuine showstopper, combining exquisite vocal control with an emotional honesty that lingers long after the song has ended. The production comes full circle as it returns to the rehabilitation centre for its finale. Striking visual effects accompany Chaka's struggle to conquer herself and her addiction, reconnecting with the darker, more psychologically searching musical promised at the outset. The result feels like two competing productions. One is a routine celebrity biography ticking off the familiar milestones. The other is an intimate portrait of the gifted artist and extraordinary individual behind the legend. It is the latter that truly brings Chaka Khan to life, but it occupies far too little of the evening. Devoted fans will relish hearing her greatest hits performed with such vocal brilliance, yet the musical leaves one wishing the focus had been more fully on the complexity of this remarkable woman.

Rated: ★★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Danny Kaan

When, Where, Getting there:
Map & Location: 3 Fulton Rd, Wembley Park, Wembley HA9 0SP, UK

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