This Is Your Tribute brings a joyous night of interactive cabaret to Hope Mill Theatre

A joyous night of musical nostalgia and sing-alongs comes to Hope Mill Theatre this July.

This Is Your Tribute is the latest high-energy, hilarious and heartwarming interactive cabaret show from the fantastic Sarah-Louise Young, the mastermind behind hit shows An Evening Without Kate Bush and Julie Madly Deeply.

Featuring classic hits like I Will Survive, Nine To Five and an unforgettable take on Let It Go, This Is Your Tribute is filled to the brim with audience sing-songs, dance breaks, wigs and more.

Sarah-Louise also shares some of her darker tales from the world of tribute, including a cease and desist letter from Julie Andrews. 

Ahead of This Is Your Tribute‘s arrival at Hope Mill Theatre, we chatted to Sarah-Louise about what audiences might be able to expect…

Is there a certain science or formula you look for when picking a song to include in your show? 

All the songs in the show were especially chosen because they are almost impossible not to sing along with! Unlike a lot of other nights out at the theatre, we want you to join in!

We’ve packed the show with karaoke classics and the odd guilty pleasure. My Way, for example, is so well known, it’s almost a cliche to sing it. But we’ve used it as a way to explore how certain numbers, when sung with enough conviction, can transform ordinary people into iconic stars, if only for three minutes.

If you had to choose one song as your favourite to perform, which would it be? 

I have a lot of fun with Let It Go from Frozen, which we’ve given a cheeky re-write to. Many parents will be sick to death of hearing their children singing it, but hopefully, with our new interpretation, we can breathe some new life into it.

Similarly, is there an artist you particularly enjoy channelling? 

One of my favourite parts of the show is where I get to play one half of The Proclaimers, seeking my brother to complete the band. I don’t want to give too much away but with a willing volunteer, this can be a lot of joy.

With a production like this, audience participation is obviously vital, perhaps more so than that of a ‘typical’ theatre show — how do you go about making them feel part of it all?

It’s really important to me that the audience feel completely at ease and that any participation is ‘opt-in’ only. I hope over the years I have become pretty good at reading people’s body language. As with my previous show, An Evening Without Kate Bush, the invitation to join in is very small and simple to begin with and builds gradually to more bold offers as the show progresses. Some people want to get up on stage, and others prefer to enjoy the show from the safety of their seats. However you want to enjoy the show, the important thing is that you do. So you might find yourself singing backing vocals, waving an arm, or even taking centre stage. It’s up to you!

Is there a song or artist you’ve wanted to work into the show, but haven’t managed to yet? 

So many! I was really pushing for the song Mr Brightside by The Killers, which I wanted to perform with exaggerated literal mime. But the show was already running at 60 minutes, so we had to cut it. I also sang Nothing Compares To You by Sinead O’Connor in an early version. Russell Lucas (who made the show with me after our successes with the Kate Bush show and Julie Madly Deeply about Dame Julie Andrews) and I are big believers in trying things out in front of a live audience. So all our shows go through rigorous strength testing over the course of a few months. Sometimes we have to lose our favourite moments because they don’t quite fit with the overall tempo or narrative arc. That said, on Friday and Saturday nights, I’ll be hosting a post-show karaoke for anyone who wants to stay, so who knows, I might be able to get them in!

Aside from the Julie Andres cease and desist letter, have you had any other artists get in touch about your show? Good or bad stories welcome…

People often ask me whether Kate Bush knows about my other show. Her accountant certainly does because she receives a royalty every time we perform it! We’ve also had her doctor’s niece, her son’s ex-girlfriend and one of the original backing singers from the 1979 Tour Of Life in… so we live in hope!

How excited are you about bringing This Is Your Tribute to Manchester? 

This is a real full-circle moment for me because I first came to the Hope Mill in 2017 when I was cast in Yank!, a beautiful WWII gay love story where I got to play all eight of the female roles alongside eleven terrific young actors. I was so struck by the creative vision and warm welcome which Joe and Will gave us, I vowed to return with my own work one day. Jump forward eight years, and I am now married to a Mancunian I met during the run! We moved here two years ago after 26 years of living in London. So this beautiful venue is now on my doorstep!

If you had to sum up what to expect for anyone coming to the show, in a couple of sentences, what would you say?

A joyful, heartfelt and slightly bonkers celebration of the unique way we all ‘pay tribute’ to the artists we love: whether it’s singing in the shower or dancing on a stage, if you love music, you’ll love this show. Expect sing-alongs, true stories and a shedload of wigs.

This Is Your Tribute heads to Hope Mill Theatre Wed 2 Jul – Sun 6 Jul. On Friday and Saturday night, Sarah-Louise will also host a special post-show karaoke in the theatre for anyone who fancies getting up and dusting off their Sinatra or Sonny & Cher. Book your tickets using the button below.