Sweet Caroline comes to town charting Neil Diamond’s rise to fame

Neil Diamond is one of the most distinguished figures in American song writing, writes Joe Marshall.

Famed for number one hits such as Cracklin’ Rosie and I’ve Been This Way Before, he has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, putting him among the most commercially successful musicians of all time.

Now, Sweet Caroline is coming to town – a celebration of his life and music led by tribute artist Gary Ryan.

The full-blown stage show is billed as a journey celebrating some of the world’s best loved pop songs.

It charts Diamond’s rise to fame, from Brooklyn to Hollywood.

Audiences can expect to hear his classic work, in a variety of styles.

There’s the smooth reggae of Red Red Wine, as covered by UB40, and a big show tune rendition of The Jazz Singer, from the 1980 film of the same name, in which Diamond starred.

Leading man Ryan appeared as Diamond in 1993, on TV’s Stars in Their Eyes.

He said: “For me, it was an obvious choice to portray Neil Diamond in the competition. I have always been a big fan of singer songwriters and have been a fan of Neil since the age of 14.”

The touring show will stop at Leicester Square Theatre on October 9.

Tickets: Sweet Caroline – A Tribute to Neil Diamond (leicestersquaretheatre.com)

Pictured: Gary Ryan as Neil Diamond in Sweet Caroline Picture: Entertainers