A quote attributed to Norman Vincent Peale says, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” Pedants will doubtless point out the nearest star to the Moon is the Sun, about 93 million miles away, and in any event, you’d suffocate in space, airless by definition. Those who seem to struggle with figurative speech might have found themselves having difficulty getting their heads around Shanay Holmes’ story as told in her debut solo concert, where what wasn’t said held as much importance as what was. Certain musicals and certain songs from them hold deep personal meaning, whilst another one meant “a lot to a lot of people”, which is markedly different.
It demonstrated, really, that Holmes was quite aware of what the crowd-pleasers in her lineup were. Not that there was anything in an eclectic mix of songs from stage and screen that didn’t please the crowd! The audience was thanked for coming repeatedly in what came across as genuine, heartfelt gratitude – Holmes also acknowledged it was a very warm day and that “the footy” was on. The vast majority of the audience stayed to the very last number – unless anyone happened to be staying within a few minutes’ walking distance from the venue (or had reserved a spot somewhere showing the game) they would have missed the start of a key World Cup fixture for England.
Not everyone does their debut concert flanked by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. Conducted by West End and regional theatre stalwart Chris Poon, they glided through a wide range of tunes from Disney movies, book musicals and jukebox musicals, contemporary songs and classic ones. I was as amused as Holmes was at the RPCO playing a Bob Marley song (‘Waiting in Vain’ from Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical), and this had been prefaced by, amongst other things, ‘Not When I’m Around’ from the Stephen Sondheim musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and ‘Maybe This Time’ from the Kander and Ebb musical Cabaret.
I found Holmes’ storytelling style to be highly refreshing, and well suited for a hot summer night: there’s nothing worse, at least for me, than the audience being asked twenty times or more in the course of a show how they’re doing. There was none of that with Holmes, who spoke with a calm sincerity, giving the venue a living room ambience despite her sharing a stage with an orchestra. If she had first night nerves, they didn’t show. In a world with so much strife and pain, Holmes’ backstory was manifestly positive. While there were financial limitations (back in the day, she couldn’t afford to go to the theatre, or the place she was offered at drama school) she has, ultimately, never known a time when she wasn’t loved and appreciated by family and close friends.
It was a stand-and-deliver performance – it was all about the songs. As for the choreography, well, there wasn’t any. Perhaps that will follow at another concert at another time. This one would not, Holmes was keen to acknowledge, have happened at all without her husband Chris Steward’s encouragement. Holmes and Steward are very good, thanks to Musical Con, at platforming others, but it’s a new venture for Holmes to showcase her own skills. A forthcoming album, Becoming, is set for release on 16 October 2026, produced by Steve Anderson, who has also worked on songs and albums for Kylie Minogue, Westlife and Susan Boyle amongst others.
The show was as scorching as the ambient temperature outside on the night, though I would have liked a bit more humour and depth in the storytelling that accompanied the songs. What were, for instance, some of the happiest of happy moments in her formative years? What were some of the on-stage mishaps over the years that were embarrassing at the time but can now be looked back on with a smile? Nonetheless, this was an enjoyable and hearty debut gig.
And yes, Shanay, it’s ‘Cah-dug-gun’ Hall. You got it right. I was sharply corrected once by a London black cab driver at Victoria Station when I said I wanted to go to ‘Cadd-oh-gun’ Hall. He accepted my fare nonetheless.
Review by Chris Omaweng
Shanay Holmes, one of the West End’s most powerful and emotive voices, presents her first-ever solo concert at Cadogan Hall, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.
Following her critically acclaimed performance as Nancy in Oliver! – a role she originated and for which she won Best Female Lead in a Musical at the Black British Theatre Awards – she performs orchestral reimaginings of musical theatre classics alongside the songs that have shaped her journey.
SHANAY HOLMES IN CONCERT
Cadogan Hall
11 July 2026
