Blue Planet II Live in Concert, Resorts World Arena, Birmingham - review
The rain and wind outside may have been horrendous, but it certainly set the scene at Birmingham's Resorts World Arena where crowds wound around the NEC complex to dive deep into Blue Planet II Live in Concert.
Featuring exhilarating clips from the hit David Attenborough BBC documentary, the show saw these moments brought to life by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra performing the iconic Hans Zimmer, Jacob Shea and David Fleming score.
Countryfile presenter Anita Rani compered the evening, gliding onto the stage in a sleek and sophisticated black gown with a glittering silver necklace.
"Tonight you will not only see the action, you will hear it like never before," she informed the already excited crowd.
"And you will feel every moment as you are taken on this magical journey."
From the first spine-chilling notes of the violin through to bellowing horn blows and the crashing of cymbals, the audience was gripped and transported to some of the most picturesque places across the globe.
Orcas fought alongside humpback wales for herring, moray eels preyed on Sally lightfoot crabs as they scavenged for algae and sealions worked as a team to hunt tuna. Every hair-raising moment was brought to life by the orchestra as they performed the emotive music that heightened the glory of the imagery before us.
The choir provided superb, hair-raising vocals alongside the marvellous music sections that added an ethereal edge to the other-worldly imagery.
Anita wowed the crowd with facts about the scenes before us that elevated the event to more than just an entertaining show, but a celebration of our weird and wonderful planet.
Lights and special effects were also used to take the audience on a journey. Smoke billowed onto the stage as we traversed across the deep depths of the ocean to see the Humboldt squid feed, and blue strobe lights danced across the ceiling as the Portugese man o' war bobbed through the waves.
As well as being entertaining, the show was poignant and informative as it shone a light on the negative impact human action is having on the ocean.
It was hard not to shed a tear as a walrus mother and her calf struggled to find ice to rest on as 40 per cent of the arctic ice had melted over the summer months - a shocking and sombering moment illustrated perfectly by the orchestra playing soft music bathed in deep blue light.
Culminating in an explosive finale with heart-stopping instrumentals accompanying visuals of spinning dolphins, vibrant coral, majestic octopus and a breaching whale, the show left the audience breathless.
Exhilarating from start to finish, Blue Planet II Live in Concert was a true salute to the beauty that lurks in our oceans.
I can't wait for there to be a Blue Planet III.
