BELIEVE IT OR NOT, Ronan Keating has completely blown away the critics with his West End debut in the musical Once.

In June, Keating was cast in the musical version of John Carney’s sweet film about a Dublin busker who finds love with a Czech immigrant, taking the role originated by Glen Hansard.

Reaction at the time was pretty snarky:

Once the Musical Once the Musical

But Ronan made his debut last night, and the positive reviews are rolling in. Yes, the critics absolutely love him.

Here is just some of the praise heaped on his performance.

The Musical Theatre Review:

…Keating is a Guy with a gentler soul, desperately lost without love in his life, and only able to communicate through is music. That’s pretty powerful stuff.

Here’s the UK Independent:

It feels patronising to boyband singers-turned-actors everywhere to say he is surprisingly good, so let’s rather say he is highly effective in exuding a careworn melancholy that disguises loss. He captures the hearts of the audience seemingly effortlessly.

From The London Evening Standard:

[Keating] gives an extremely creditable account of himself on his West End debut. As his Dublin-based character might say: “Fair play to him”.

And Digital Spy:

Keating’s vocal ability has perhaps never got the praise it deserves. When listening to him here, he proves that he has one of the finest pop vocals of the past couple of decades, and it has really improved over the years.

Well. It seems like Ronan has finally found his post-Boyzone niche. He’ll appear in Once until March of 2015. Book yourself a ticket now.

Previously: Ronan Keating is going to sing lead in the Once musical>