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14 Phonebox Magazine | February 2025Justine Riddoch%u2019s award-winning Tina Turner tribute act is coming to Milton Keynes with her best show ever, says Phonebox%u2019s Tom Johnston.Simply The BestThe true %u2018Queen of Rock %u2018n%u2019 Roll%u2019 might be dead, but several tribute acts keep legend Tina Turner%u2019s music alive %u2013 and none more so than popular entertainer Justine Riddoch, who%u2019s coming to Milton Keynes next month.Fourteen years have passed since Justine%u2019s Totally Tina show fi rst 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%u2019s bringing to Milton Keynes%u2019 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%u2019s live performances.%u201cI am thrilled by the success of this production %u2013 we have come so far,%u201d says Justine. %u201cHaving 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.%u201dThe cast and crew of Totally Tina promise a custom-made performance featuring a whole host of fresh ideas, coupled with the band%u2019s 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%u2019s 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%u2019s 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 fl ourish of sparkling stiletto heels, fl amboyant tail feathers, high-energy dance routines and musical genius. There%u2019s audience engagement and a post-show %u2018meet and greet%u2019 too, making it all the more personal.%u201cWe always add our own personality to the show each year,%u201d adds Justine. %u201cThe 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. %u201cThat%u2019s why we love it when people tell us that they go away feeling as though they have seen the real thing.%u201dTotally Tina is at the Stables, Wavendon on Wednesday 26th February.

