Tina Turner one year on from her death: 'She made her fans feel seen, sung to and talked to by someone real'

Phyllida Lloyd, director

When I was six I bought River Deep with my pocket money. There was something about the voice and the sound. I was a fan from the earliest of ages.

But I wasn’t sure I wanted to get involved in another big commercial musical after Mamma Mia! as I didn’t think I’d have the same luck twice. I know how astronomically high the stakes are when putting these shows together.

But the combination of producer Tali Pelman’s tenacity and the opportunity to work with Tina, I knew there was an opportunity for something substantial; it wouldn’t just be throwing a few