Live Report: Yusuf/Cat Stevens, September 18, 3Olympia Theatre

It’s only seven o’clock, yet the queue for the Olympia Theatre stretches past Crampton Court, past Crane Lane and onto Parliament Street. It’s the first of a fair few revelations about Yusuf/Cat Stevens this evening – his fans adore him.

Well, they were in for a treat, for this was an evening with a difference – Yusuf touching down at an enchanted Olympia for his intriguingly-titled book tour - Cat On The Road To Findout - An Evening Of Tales, Tunes And Other Mysteries. We were promised an in-depth conversation about his new memoir, chronicling his evolution from chart-topping pop star to spiritual seeker and boy did Yusuf deliver.

Interestingly, the conversation is delivered sans-interlocuter, Yusuf speaking directly to the audience, performing acoustic versions of his songs, in front of a stellar backdrop of personal illustrations, photographs and film.

At 8pm sharp, the main man strolls onto the stage – lean, still rock and roll wearing shades and boots – strumming ‘Miles From Nowhere’ – “Lord, my body has been a good friend/But I won't need it when I reach the end” – and into an evening of revelation we plunge.

Yusuf Cat Stevens - Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 14th September - Credit: Rhys Fagan

Born to a Greek Orthodox father and a Swedish Baptist mother, Stevens grew up in London’s West End, where his family ran a restaurant, the Moulin Rouge. Listing his parents' religions is important, because throughout his life, Yusuf sought spirituality through belief in a higher power, finally finding his true faith in Islam. He noodles through the first song he ever wrote, which remains untitled before presenting ‘The First Cut Is The Deepest’, incredibly penned when he was still a teenager. And it was no one-off, his second single ‘Matthew and Son’ was a chart-topping pop hit (his first single ‘I Love My Dog’ gets a sweet airing tonight).

Yusuf documents the perks and perils of fame in Swinging Sixties London until his career was drastically interrupted by a mortal battle with TB - a turning point that ignited his quest for peace and understanding.

Later, while caught in a riptide in the waters of the Pacific, he made a pact with God, that if he made it out, he would work for him – a wave suddenly appeared and dragged him back to shore.

He began to explore Buddhism, Hinduism and Zen - almost converting to the latter before he learned of Zen practitioners' love of green tea, which hilariously, he couldn’t stomach – whilst penning classic songs – ‘Wild World’, ‘Trouble’, ‘Moonshadow’ and ‘Father and Son’. Remarkably, he reveals that the latter was written about the Russian Revolution; while he is wonderfully mischievous when telling us about falling in love with his wife and their subsequent marriage, he rocks out to ‘Hard Headed Woman’ from his fourth album, the massively successful Tea for the Tillerman.

Yusuf Cat Stevens - Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 14th September - Credit: Rhys Fagan

When his brother gifted him a copy of the Qur'an, he embraced Islam, changed his name to Yusuf Islam, and shocked the world by leaving the music industry, dedicating his life to God, family, and humanitarian work. That journey is documented in detail in the second part of the show, containing honest and gripping reveals, which makes the book a must-have for any Yusuf/Cat Stevens fans or indeed anyone with a passing interest in a global artist who took a path less travelled.

A highlight of the night is a poignantly inspiring performance of ‘The Little Ones’ - a prayer for the safety and salvation of children who have been victims of violence and injustice – written originally about the Siege of Sarajevo – after which Yusuf speaks about the massacre of children in Gaza. His is a message of peace, delivered in a controlled, powerful voice - he sets up ‘Peacetrain’ by inviting Americans, Russians, Israelis and Palestinians onto it. Yusuf remains an idealist, which unfortunately nowadays may be deemed an anachronism, yet he endures as a child of the Sixties and a man who believes in his message of peace that has inspired him to pen some of the greatest songs that espouse it.