Small town girl meets city boy in this ultimate 80’s cheese-fest of a musical. Wannabe rockstar Drew is working a dead end job in a club on the sunset strip when he meets wannabe actress Sherrie. Meanwhile the strip is threatened by two Germans and a corrupt mayor who plan to demolish it. Outrageous rocker Stacee Jaxx (aka X-Factor winner Shane Ward) adds to the drama when he arrives on the scene and lusts after Sherrie. The bar is populated by a menagerie of characters including Dennis Dupree (the ever hairy but now very svelte Justin Lee Collins) and his long time ‘pal’ Lonny who is also the ever strange narrator of this wacky production.
Every cliché is utilised in the making of this show. Despite the wafer thin plot with slabs of cheesy lines piled on top, the vocals of all the performers are strong, especially those of the two leads. The music is performed live by the cast and on stage band, is of a good quality, and does justice to the anthems used.
The humour is at times OTT and laddish, especially the behaviour of Lonny and Stacee. This is enhanced by the inclusion of The Venus (strip) Club.
The costumes are skimpy and heavily embellished but in keeping with the era and setting of the story. Hair and make-up is convincing with some great mullets on display. The scenery doesn’t change much but is well dressed with no detail spared to make the bar feel realistic.
Overall, the show is ridiculous and hilarious in equal measure. It is apparently excellent for hen parties and stag dos alike according to the whoops and cheers from the row in front and the balcony above. If you love 80’s music its worth seeing but probably not twice.There are only two rules when it comes to this show – 1) don’t take your Nan and 2) prepare for to be surprised.
Rating out of 10: 6.5
The Shaftesbury Theatre is easily accessible from a number of tube stations and is close to shops and restaurants. There is plenty of space in the theatre which makes it easy to move around during the interval. All the standard facilities are available. The acoustics, lighting and stage are all of a high standard.
EJH
No comments:
Post a Comment