Award winning Tina Turner tribute act is coming to Milton Keynes with her best show ever.
The true ‘Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll’ might be dead, but several tribute acts keep Tina Turner’s music alive – and none more so than award-winning Justine Riddoch, who’s coming to Milton Keynes next month, says MKFM’s Tom Johnston.
Fourteen years have passed since Justine’s Totally Tina show first sprang to life in the vibrant city of Liverpool. But a Lifetime Achievement Award and many other prestigious accolades along the way have earned her a deserved top spot in the musical tribute world.
Justine, a past winner of popular TV talent show Stars In Their Eyes when she performed as Anastacia, is known in the business for her enthusiasm and drive and has been singing professionally for 30 years.
She switched to Tina Turner in 2010 and has built around her a cast and crew who have played a huge part in helping her to create the longest-running Tina tribute act. And she has a brand new show which she’s bringing to Milton Keynes’ Stables in Wavendon.
Justine says she has been observing her beloved muse from the start: constantly honing her homage to the legend with passion and an unrivalled attention to detail, to deliver the most authentic recreation of the rock and roll queen’s live performances.
“I am thrilled by the success of this production – we have come so far,” says Justine. “Having been told on many occasions that I sounded like Tina, I decided to take the plunge and then spent hours familiarising myself with her life story and scrutinising video footage to watch mannerisms and body movements.”
The cast and crew of Totally Tina promise a custom-made performance featuring a whole host of fresh ideas, coupled with the band’s famous humour. The show, says Justine, is designed to make the audience feel that the legendary performer is right there in front of them, strutting her stuff on the most famous legs in show business.
This year’s production is a heady mix of nostalgia and surprise with all the favourite Tina Turner hits, her best duets, much-loved covers and the odd twist in the tale.
Jumping Jack Flash, Honky Tonk Woman, Get Back, It’s Only Rock and Roll and The Bitch is Back have been added to a set which already includes Simply The Best, Proud Mary, Nutbush City Limits and Private Dancer.
The songs are enhanced by the customary flourish of sparkling stiletto heels, flamboyant tail feathers, high energy dance routines and musical genius. There’s audience engagement and a post-show ‘meet and greet’ too, making it all the more personal.
“We always add our own personality to the show each year,” adds Justine. “The element of surprise keeps things fresh, but my ultimate aim is to remain faithful to a Tina Turner live concert paying tribute to her career and bring the best version of this amazing woman: her voice, her passion and even her legs, to her many fans.
“That’s why we love it when people tell us that they go away feeling as though they have seen the real thing.”
Totally Tina is at The Stables, Wavendon on Wednesday 26th February.
