BOASTING a 100ft screen, a 35ft tall Martian machine firing death rays at the audience and Liverpool’s own Jennifer Ellison, Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds was at the ECHO arena last night.
HG Wells’s apocalyptic tale has been a 30- year labour of love for the 65-year-old New Yorker Jeff Wayne.
Jeff and his father bought the rights from the Wells estate, and the 96-minute, continuous play double album The War Of the Worlds was born.
The tour is visiting 17 venues – including Liverpool – before the production heads to Amsterdam, Germany and Dubai and celebrates the 30th anniversary of the release of the original album.
Jennifer Ellison appeared as Beth, the wife of the Parson, who is played by Shannon Noll.
She will perform at venues across Britain – which she said forced her to delay her planned August marriage to semi-pro boxer Robbie Tickle.
Jeff, who has lived in Britain for most of his life, conducts the band and the orchestra.
The show also features an 11 foot tall Richard Burton hologram which narrates from the side of the stage.
