From the Heart by Don Black, Garrick Theatre, Charing Cross Road, London WC2 | until 19 October 2026.⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review by William Russell

Photo credit: Eamonn B Shanahan

From the Heart

by Don Black

Garrick Theatre, Charing Cross Road, London  WC2 | until 19 October 2026.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review by William Russell

“A glorious, joyous evening of words set to music.”

Don Black has written the words for music you will know for decades, but, as he ruefully reflects in this revue of his songs they get remembered as being by the man who wrote the music. He narrates the show performed by five singers of songs, although he is not there in person until the very end, but we learn that it has been over those 50 years when he realised he had no future as a standup comedian a dream to have a show of his own – and this is it. As for his work, he notes he once asked Johnny Mercer about Henry Mancini's Moon River  to be told there was nothing one could do about it.

The 88-year-old Black's place in the pantheon of great lyricists is, however, secure. The show is for the most part is devoted to songs written for the cabaret clubs of New York and the cavernous hole in the ground that is the Garrick is really not the ideal venue for conjuring of 46th Street clubs and does occasionally tempt the singers to West End musical delivery and grandstanding. But the words survive. We then move to more familiar ground with, among others, the Bond songs, Born Free – another of his film songs - and there is an appearance of the night's guest artist, in this instance Michael Ball, who performs Love Changes Everything from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Aspects of Love with, of course, words by Don Black.

It is an evening of delights with Caroline O'Connor, Michael D Xavier, Clive Rowe, who sings Love Changes Everything too, and better than Ball did, Shona McCarty and Frances Mayli McCann performing the songs of Black accompanied dazzlingly by Joseph Church of the piano and Oliver Copeland on the double bass. Director Nick Winston has created the perfect tribute show and Black's appearance at the end brought the audience to its feet, a standing ovation for once justified.

Cast

Caroline O'Connor

Frances Mayli McCann

Shona McGarty

Michael D Xavier

Clive Rowe

Creatives

Director – Nick Winston

Musical Supervisor & Arranger – Nick Barstow

Musical Director – Joseph Church

Set & Costume Designer -Sophia Pardon

Lighting Designer – Ben Cracknell

Sound Designer – Richard Brooker