BRITAIN'S leading musical theatre star, Michael Ball, is touring the UK again.

The Barbican performance hall was packed to capacity with eager fans, and Ball’s entrance was met with an ecstatic standing ovation as he launched into Avicci’s Wake Me Up, demonstrating a fondness for current popular music as well as the stage show classics he is better known for.

He followed this with more personal favourites from his new album, If Everyone Was Listening, including Simple Love, Jessie and I Won’t Give Up, before switching to love songs from musicals, all of which had the audience clapping, stamping and singing along.

An experienced presenter and entertainer, Ball’s performance was engaging and energetic. Every song seemed to hold a personal connection for him, whether it was from a past performance or just had some choice lyrics that particularly moved him.

The second half continued in much the same vein, featuring songs such as Something Inside So Strong, I Won’t Let You Go and Empty Chairs, before Ball called the audience down to the front for a grand finale of musical bombast comprising of Pharrell Williams’s Happy, One Step At A Time and Elvis Presley’s The Wonder Of You. However, the audience weren’t quite done with Ball yet, and he returned for an encore of u Can’t Stop The Beat and Love Changes Everything.

Michael Ball delighted the crowd with his powerful voice and cheerful sincerity, leaving little doubt as to why this performance was sold out.