Chaka Khan, 73, was in the audience for the press night of I'm Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre on 5 August 2026. The woman whose life the show depicts saw it on the same night the critics did. WhatsOnStage

Sarah Crompton, reviewing for WhatsOnStage, called the show disappointing. Her verdict lands as the production settles into a limited season at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, a flexible venue built inside the former Fountain Studios in Wembley Park, running from 22 July to 27 September 2026. Tickets start at £36.

Alexandra Burke, who won The X Factor in 2008 and has since built a substantial theatre career, plays Chaka Khan. Burke does not perform at every show: Thursday evenings, Saturday matinees, and the performances on 1, 2 and 23 August are listed without her, meaning an alternate takes the role on those dates.

The musical tells Khan's life story from her time with the funk band Rufus through her solo career, aiming — in the producers' words — to "reveal the woman behind the diva, and her rise to stardom." The score draws on both periods, including solo hits like I Feel for You and Ain't Nobody alongside Rufus material. The book is by Nia T Hill, with direction by Racky Plews. Sets are by Sara Perks, costumes by Natalie Pryce, and video design by Buckloop.

The cast also brings in characters from Khan's wider musical orbit. Figures depicted include Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, Steve Winwood and Prince. Sophie Earl plays Joni Mitchell and sings Big Yellow Taxi in the show. Chrissie Bhima is also in the company.

The production's path to Wembley Park was not straightforward. It was originally announced for the Peacock Theatre in Holborn, a Sadler's Wells-operated venue in the West End. In March 2026 the premiere moved to Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre because of repair work at the Peacock. The producers said the venue change was entirely outside their control. Troubadour Theatres then confirmed on 24 April that the show was coming to Wembley Park, billing it as a limited season.

A trailer was released in March 2026, followed by rehearsal photographs, and the full cast led by Burke was announced in October 2025. The show has been positioned by Troubadour Theatres as telling "the powerful and inspiring life story" of a "multi-platinum selling global superstar."

For Crompton, that promise was not met. Her review for WhatsOnStage judged the musical a disappointment, a verdict published the same day Khan herself attended the performance. The show continues its run to 27 September.