Janie Dee In Cabaret - Review

The Pheasantry, London

****

 

Janie Dee

 “Leave your troubles outside!

Life is disappointing? Forget it!

Here, life is beautiful!”

And with those immortal Kander & Ebb lyrics, Janie Dee opened her cabaret set to a full house at The Pheasantry. Indeed, set against a world still battling the ravages of the pandemic, to say nothing of the horrendous London weather, life did appear to be briefly beautiful in the gorgeous intimacy of that Kings Road basement.

Dee is one of London’s finest musical theatre and cabaret performers. Her wisdom, experience, talent and sensational voice imbue her with a presence that not only earns our attention but rather commands it, allowing her to take the audience’s emotions on a rollercoaster ride of perfectly pitched pathos and playfulness, masterfully supported by musical director Stephen Higgins.

A selection of Kander & Ebb numbers followed their Wilkommen opener, with Dee sharing how the composers’ 1971 song Yes! had recently seen John Kander graciously permit her to tweak that number’s lyrics so as to accommodate Dee’s passionately held concerns over climate change, a belief that allowed her to seamlessly segue into a delicious delivery of What A Wonderful World.

An early guest slot saw Dee's guitarist son Alfie Wickham play a brief set, commencing with an enchanting take on the classical melody Spanish Romance. Wickham played with confidence, skill and an on-stage assuredness - the young man has remarkable potential.

Dee closed her first act with her first Sondheim number of the night, Send In The Clowns. Close-up and cocooned on this Chelsea stage, and having played Desiree Armfeldt on a number of previous occasions, Dee gave the song a rare intensity in her interpretation. Indeed, having heard the song sung live on countless occasions I found that listening to Dee's Desiree, the one that I wanted was hers.

Sondheim's Another Hundred People got the second act underway in what was to prove another carefully crafted setlist that fused merriment with melancholy. Copytype was a sharply satirical look back at the days when typewriters were a thing, while Dee again gave a hauntingly contemporary resonance to Jerry Herman’s Time Heals Everything. Wickham returned to the stage to accompany his mum on Fly Me To The Moon, as Janie wrapped up events with a resounding The Ladies Who Lunch.

Everybody rise? – such was Dee's commanding gravitas that we very nearly did as we were bade!

It’s great that cabaret is back in town and helmed by their supremely well-connected resident host Ruth Leon (herself an 'Emcee' who could give Joel Grey more than a run for his money), The Pheasantry is destined to be packing them in over the next few months.

Photo credit: Angie Lawrence

Rob Rokicki Back In London - Review

The Pheasantry, London


***

There was much anticipation ahead of New York composer Rob Rokicki’s one night cabaret in Chelsea’s Pheasantry. Rokicki’s songs offer a refreshing alternative to much of the balladry offered up in new writing. His musical The Lightning Thief is currently running two separate tours in the USA before an off-Broadway run next year and he has another album shortly to be released, imaginatively themed around songs about monsters of popular mythology.

It therefore proved a disappointment to find the gig’s sound levels aligned to the needs of the Palladium rather than the more intimate requirements of a Kings Road pizza parlour. When Rokicki accompanied his (uniformly excellent) singers, or himself, on guitar or piano, the sound balance worked, just. But when his four supporting musicians on drums, bass, violin and guitar joined in, (who to be fair were equally as talented individuals), voices were lost in the din. Singers frequently had to belt solely to make themselves heard, making for a too frustrating evening, with much of the wit of Rokicki’s lyrics proving inaudible.

That being said, there were moments of exquisite vocal performance that shone out brilliantly (and, invariably, before the band kicked in). Emily Lynne and Sinead Wall had a chance to have their inspired acting through song shine in Casting Call For A “Best Friend” and similarly Helen Woolf impressed with her treatment of a witch in Hell Hath No Fury. Perhaps the most gorgeous number of the night was Torch Song sung by Charlotte Jaconelli. The song is resolutely tongue in cheek, satirising the biggest musicals’ biggest numbers with Jaconelli nailing the song’s comic nuance. The song’s joint greatest strength was perhaps not just the singer’s excellence, but also the fact that the band sat that one out, with accompaniment only coming from Rokicki on piano.

The New Yorker spoiled his audience with the riches of his assembled cast (even if we couldn't always hear the 5* musical theatre talent on offer). Amanda Flynn, aka Mrs Rokicki, was an impressive American import on the night, likewise singer and fellow composer Tony Greenlaw added a classy contribution. Lynne had been the driving force behind the gig and it was pleasing to see her She Loves Me cast connections reaching out to include Joshua LeClair too. In a powerhouse of energy Book Of Mormon’s Tyrone Huntley closed the first half – whilst after the break, violinist Amy Davis stepped down from her fiddle to offer up a gorgeous take on the song Lead Singer, at least until the band drowned her out.

When Rokicki returns to London – and he should – if he’s to play an intimate cabaret venue then piano or acoustic guitar is just fine. One suspects his songs are wonderful, they just need to be heard.

Anne Reid and Stefan Bednarczyk in Cabaret - Review

The Pheasantry, London

****

Anne Reid and Stefan Bednarczyk

Currently in cabaret at London’s The Pheasantry, Anne Reid and Stefan Bednarczyk offer a songlist devoted to the Broadway/Hollywood writing partnership of Betty Comden and Adolf Green.

Most famous perhaps for the story and screenplay of Singin' In The Rain (though incredibly their only contribution to that movie’s musical numbers was Moses Supposes) the Comden & Green partnership was to last the best part of 60 years, going on to include On The Town and Wonderful Town amongst a string of successes.

Reid and Bednarczyk are as enlightening as they are enchanting with a shared respect for Comden & Green that is infectiously appealing. Together, these talented performers bring a masterful combination of humour and pathos to a selection of numbers that reflect some of the best of the American Songbook.

The set includes not only classics such as I’m So Lucky To Be Me and Just In Time, but also the less well known works such as Talking To Yourself from The Hallelujah Chorus, Reid imbuing the song with a blend of power, hope and inspiration. Bednarczyk’s piano work was divine – but his vocals were magnificent too. A touching take on The Story Of My Life, suggested as possibly being an autobiographical reflection from Green looking back on an impoverished and abused childhood was heart-rending, whilst the satirical Capital Gains proved as topical today as when written some 50 years ago.

Don Black has spoken (here) of Reid’s remarkable cabaret persona. As a raconteur she’s amongst our finest and when she talks of having stage managed Margaret Lockwood, or her excitement at having met both meeting Comden & Green along with the occasional reference to Derek Jacobi, one could listen to her Geordie cum Weatherfield brogue all night. 

As Reid recounted how she first met Benarczyk in the south of France, I was reminded of her Mme Armfeldt’s reminiscent Liaisons in a recent A Little Night Music, whilst a further wistful observation, as to how beautiful it must be to both sing and fly (a reference to a Peter Pan production she was following whilst on a UK touring circuit) made me speculate what a fantastic Berthe she might make should Broadway’s recent Pippin ever cross the pond!

Reid and Bednarczyk encored with a number probably made most famous by Jimmy Durante, Make Someone Happy, a deliriously poignant yet also profoundly uplifting melody. The moment, along with the evening was perfect – for in a packed Chelsea basement these two diamonds of the cabaret scene had, in fact, made everyone happy.

In residence until Friday 31st July

Don Black In Conversation - Pt 1: Cabaret

Don Black

The London Festival of Cabaret opens this week and runs for a fortnight across the city. Featuring a line-up from both sides of the Atlantic you can expect legendary names getting up close to a microphone, singing songs that they love (and may also have composed) and reaching out beyond the spotlight to share stories with an audience.

Unlike a staged musical the atmosphere couldn’t be more relaxed – and over a cocktail or glass of wine, maybe with a bite to eat too, listening to an inspirational performer either singing beautifully or sharing a sparkling anecdote makes for a charming evening.

As the final preparations were being drawn up for Tuesday’s opening night, I caught up with Festival Patron and Oscar-winning lyricist Don Black to talk about his love for the art-form.

JB:    Don, what drew you to supporting the Festival? 

DB:    I've always, for as long as I can remember, loved cabaret. When I was managing Matt Monroe, all those years ago, I used to go to those northern clubs and cabaret clubs which were rife in the '60's. Places like Talk of the Town, I used to love the atmosphere. 

When I started going to America a lot, I used go to all the cabaret places in New York. Lots of things drew me to these places.

You would get singers there who sang the different songs, special material, witty songs. Songs you hear very often. No one in cabaret sings My Way or those out and out popular songs. You get some very, very interesting and intriguing artists.

In New York I used to go and see a guy named Oscar Brown Jr., wherever he appeared. In fact I was discussing him only the other day with Van Morrison, who is a huge fan of his, so is Paul Jones, and many people.

I used to go and see Matt Dennis who wrote great songs like Angel Eyes and Let's Get Away From It All. 

I just like that closeness, the intimacy of the cabaret room. I'm delighted that so much is going on in London, in cabaret. I go to the Crazy Coqs quite often along with the St. James and I go to The Pheasantry too. The other night at The Pheasantry I saw Charles Strouse, the man who wrote Annie and Bye Bye Birdie. Now, you tell me where you can go see a guy, nearly 87 years old, talking for 2 hours and sharing anecdotes about Jule Styne and Hal Prince singing his songs?

Also, I really like the idea of them not being great singers! I like watching the song writers, like Strouse, who's not a great piano player, not a great singer. You get so much heart and so much emotion in those couple of hours. It's a different kind of evening. Cabaret really is a great love of mine. 

I recently saw Anne Reid at the Crazy Coqs. Now Anne is a great example of someone and she won't mind me saying this, who really is not a great singer. But she's a great actress, and therefore a great story-teller. 

JB:    What are your thoughts on the younger cabaret artistes, as compared to those who do cabaret on the back of longer established careers? 

DB:    What you get from young artists, that you may not get from the older people, is new material. You do get the younger people, they'll find a song from a failed musical. You think, "Oh isn't that beautiful." They can be full of surprises.

But of course the more seasoned a performer is, the more they've got more to draw on and of course you can feel for them too. You are close up. So when you see a person in their 60's and 70's singing a song about years gone by or missed opportunities, you cannot help but be moved. It is very touching when you see Anne Reid, who's I don't know nearly 80 now, singing a Barbara Cook song. You get the goosebumps. And as I said about Charles Strouse, when he went into The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow, I mean, god almighty it was phenomenal!

I saw Mitch Winehouse at the Hippodrome a few weeks ago, Amy’s dad. He really put through with about a 12 piece orchestra, and he was terrific. So interesting and of course lots of anecdotes about Amy. It was very personal and also very touching. 

JB:    So – is it about the songs or the story-telling?

DB:    Being a lyric writer I've always gone for the story teller. It's interesting because Tony Bennett's favourite singer and he’s often said this and it says a lot, is Louis Armstrong. Sinatra's favourite singer was Fred Astaire. These people aren't known for singing but they are known for storytelling. You hang on every word when these people sing. That's what I like about cabaret, you don't have to be the greatest singer, but you just have to get your story across. That's why with people like Lorna Luft, you hang on every comma. 

JB: Don, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, and enjoy the Festival!

Aside from cabaret, Don also spoke at length about his song-writing career and part 2 of this fascinating conversation will be published shortly.

The London Festival Of Cabaret – Celebrating Song opens on 28th April and continues at venues across the capital until 11th May. Confirmed artists appearing include Kerry Ellis, Barb Jungr, Janie Dee and Scott Alan (amongst many others) and you can also watch some of today’s younger stars such as Jamie Parker and Caroline Sheen branching out onto the capital’s cabaret circuit. 

www.londonfestivalofcabaret.com

www.londonfestivalofcabaret.com/diary/

Kerry Ellis At The Pheasantry

The Pheasantry, London

****

Almost a year since her last residency at The Pheasantry, Kerry Ellis, the musical theatre queen of her generation returned to the Kings Road for a three night stint. A packed venue sat adoringly as Ellis worked her way through a set list of classic film and showtunes, with just a sprinkling of Queen and paying particular homage to writers Don Black and Stephen Schwartz.

In recent years Ellis has famously worked closely with Brian May, who has fashioned an astounding harmony of her voice with his talent on guitar. But the intimacy of a cabaret venue demands a different arrangement and Ellis’ long time collaborator on piano and keyboards. Craig Adams has crafted some new takes on old favourites, that were masterfully played on the night by the man himself.

A medley of classic Bond numbers opened the show and in the Oscars weekend, Ellis' neat take on Adele's 2013 winner Skyfall set the tone for a collection of songs that was too have a gorgeously distinctive fidelity. Black's song cycle Tell Me On A Sunday furnished Ellis with a handful of numbers that gave rise to a refreshing moment and amidst that show’s current return to the West End, provided a long yearned for opportunity to hear the songs sung by a woman who is at round about the approximate age that they were written for. Her nods to Wicked were a magically mellow take on Defying Gravity along with I’m Not That Girl, the blockbuster show’s exquisite torch song.

Miss Ellis has been out crowd-funding to raise funds for a video production and one of the opportunities up for grabs had been the chance to sing live with the diva. Flame haired student Megan Yates had bid for this particular evening's slot and the 20 year old cut a fine impression duetting with Ellis and singing In His Eyes, a rarely heard number from Leslie Bricusse and Wildhorn’s Jekyll And Hyde.

With a career that has amassed plenty of anecdotal moments, her banter through the night hit the perfect tone. Sometimes revealing, always respectful and throughout, offering her audience a glimpse into the string of West End smash hits that have come to feature her name up on the marquee. 

Encoring with Alfie, touchingly devoted to her four month old, (who had of course graced this same stage last year, albeit in utero) her enchanting take on the Bacharach/David number was loaded with love for her son. A glorious evening of warmly familiar classics, sung to perfection.

Ray Shell - Back To Black

The Pheasantry, London

*****

Looking younger than his years Ray Shell skates through the decades of a remarkable career on stage in his cabaret Back To Black, in residence at Chelsea's Pheasantry for this week only. Few other performers define the crossover between soul and musical theatre as does this man and like fine molasses, the resonance of his gloriously weighted tone fills the intimate basement venue. When he sings Friends from Sweeney Todd you only wish that the show could be re-staged with Shell as the barber, it is the most gorgeous sound.

That his set list includes nods to Hair as well as to Kate Bush (no intended connection with that link but 70s savvy folk will see what I did there) is a mark of the man. When Shell sings What A Piece Of Work Is Man from Hair, (itself one of the few Shakespeare soliloquies to have made it into a rock musical), his take on the song, as with so many of his numbers, is exquisite. In recent years Shell has featured in The Lion King and The Bodyguard, neither of which are referenced in the show, but it was his creation of the steam engine Rusty in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express that sealed his reputation on this side of the pond. Throughout Shell’s patter is warm and informative, frequent references to Starlight Express (he reveals that a skating double was used for Rusty's races around the theatre, while he stayed firmly on the level backstage) lead into his closing number of the night, the show's title song that sees his magnificent tenor reach extend into a fine falsetto. For those who recall the opening of that crazy dangerous show at the Apollo Victoria, the moment is a spine-tingling trip back in time some 30 years!

Other highlights are an a-capella take on the Gospel classic (and Parade inclusion) There Is A Fountain Filled With Blood, whilst his cover of The King Of Pain and Wrapped Around Your Finger, reminds us that the man's craft is timeless. Sting made the songs famous and Shell (who toured with The Police as a backing singer) re-interprets them with panache. Guest slots from Chardel Rhodean and Anthony Barclay provide a modest contrast as Shell joins his three backing singers in their support, but it is “Soul Man” Shell who defines the night.

Paul Jenkins directs a slick three piece musical accompaniment to the night and toes tap throughout the room as Shell, sporting Jonathan Pryce’s Engineer shirt from Miss Saigon, encores with a beautifully toned cover of Amy Winehouse’s title song for his show. A newcomer to London’s cabaret scene, (Shell confessed that this was the first time he had performed Starlight Express off roller skates) the star quality of his set demands that he returns soon. Barely scratching the vast repertoire of his career, there is simply so much more we want to hear from him. Back To Black is a rare chance to hear an exceptional voice, not to be missed.

Runs until 22nd February

Maria Friedman Sings Lenny & Steve

The Pheasantry, London

****

Maria Friedman

Maria Friedman makes a welcome return to the intimacy of a London cabaret run in this her first ever residency at Chelsea's Pheasantry.

The Lenny and Steve are of course Bernstein and Sondheim, the latter of whom has established a relationship of renowned mutual respect with Ms Friedman. Having now tackled most of Sondheim's leading female roles, the ease with which this honey-voiced singer extracts feeling and nuance from the often complex numbers defines her almost innate connection with the material

Both the writers are of course indelibly linked with New York and so Friedman’s  opening song, What More Do I Need, from Saturday Night, is a loving tribute to the Big Apple. Its brash melodies evoke the noise and buzz of the city and who other than Sondheim could write the line “A two ton child running wild upstairs” to cleverly capture the apartment/tenement style of Manhattan life. Segueing seamlessly into Company’s Another 100 People, the New York tone of her set was sealed.

100 Easy Ways To Lose A Man saw the singer’s funny side and her ability to work the wit of Bernstein’s lyrics was assured, providing one of the evening’s many masterclasses in acting through song. The respect that Friedman commands within her industry was underlined with her anecdotal tale of Cameron Mackintosh asking her to perform a set of songs, each selected from the works of Sondheim, Boublil & Schonberg, Lloyd-Webber etc at his recent birthday celebrations, and in the presence of these esteemed composers who would all be guests at the party. The tale was honest and amusing, and for all Friedman’s modest self-deprecation, one suspects that she astounded.

A mark of the diva's steel was her interrupting her (beautiful) interpretation of Being Alive, to request that an elderly front row diner kindly put his cutlery down until the song was over. The song was indeed sublime, and she courteously kissed hands with the hungry fan at its conclusion, but her focus and resolve in that episode provided a glimpse of the standards that she sets herself. Jason Carr on piano provided accomplished accompaniment throughout and it was evident how comfortable these two performers are in working with each other.

Losing My Mind was another soulful yet searing performance, whilst Send In The Clowns was given a moving and respectful interpretation, that was greeted with almost hushed reverence by the packed audience.

Make sure to cheer for an encore. She gave two on her opening night with an at times singalong Officer Krupke that was riotously brilliant. That she was battling and conquering a throat infection made her performance all the more remarkable and when she shakes the virus off, the remainder of her gigs (book NOW, some are already sold out) will provide simply stellar interpretations of these wonderful songs.

In residence to March 10 2013

An Evening With Kerry Ellis

The Pheasantry, London

*****

Kerry Ellis

Last night saw the fabulous Kerry Ellis commence a five gig residency at The Pheasantry on London’s King Road. In the heart of chic Chelsea, sporting an outfit that was youthfully elegant with her immaculately coiffed flowing blonde hair and Louboutins to die for, Miss Ellis looked a million dollars even before she sang a note. And then she sang. And for 80 marvellous minutes, proved why she has played Wicked's Elphaba on both sides of the Atlantic, played We Will Rock You's Meat and inspired Queen's legendary guitarist Brian May to throw himself into developing her solo career.

Opening with Rodgers & Hart’s The Lady Is A Tramp, Ellis delivered vocal perfection from that song’s initial bars, right the way through to her set's encore. Will Stuart accompanying her throughout is yet another gifted young musical director whose mastery of the piano is as astounding as Ellis' vocals and whose support for his leading lady was almost intuitive throughout the evening, providing a sublime combination of voice and instrument.

Reminding us that prior to fame her break had come at the National Theatre understudying  Eliza Doolittle, where, circumstances (fortunately for her) allowed her to play the lead on numerous occasions, she went on to perform I Could Have Danced All Night, in a Craig Adams arrangement. Her light, lilting and refreshing take on such a well known number almost re-imaging Lerner and Loewe’s classic.

Her set included numerous favourites, including a handful of Queen songs ( in which an audience singalong was encouraged) that led on to her paying warm tribute to May. Before Ellis performed The Way We Were, she shared that May, whilst rehearsing her, had struggled with the idea of him as a rock star coaching her in a Barbra Streisand classic! Suffice to say that her performance of the song was merely a continuation of the spine-tingling experience that the evening had by now become.

With the song At Last, a 1942 composition, since then of course widely covered and most famously by Beyonce and Etta James, Ellis unleashed the astonishing power and range of her voice, allowing her notes to soar almost eagle like, conveying the melody’s grandeur, yet returning too, to the tight close intimacies of its closing stanzas, which played out in the acoustic cockpit of The Pheasantry, proved an aural delicacy to be savoured by the 50 strong privileged crowd.

Ellis had both the talent and the confidence to work her audience brilliantly. When seeking an audience member to sing the Glinda part in  For Good, and then choosing a game young lad (14yo Billy from Essex), effortlessly switching to sing a more appropriate As Long As Your Mine instead, (Billy was delighted!) she led a duet, which albeit one half of which was an extremely well attempting amateur schoolboy, went on to generate genuine cheers from the crowd.

Amongst the evening’s remaining highlights were Scott Alan’s wonderful and rarely heard Never Neverland, and her encore of Queen’s No-One But You (Only the Good Die Young), the latter moving many to tears in a song that recognises not only Freddie Mercury, but also when sung by Ellis, is a signature of her recognition of her mentoring from May.

Kerry Ellis' performance of every number was of sufficent precision and beauty that one could have imagined each song had been composed just for her. Rarely have I left a cabaret performance and wished there was a CD of the night to take away. To see Ellis, up close and in such an intimate venue is indeed a privilege, She is there until Sunday. Not to be missed.

Kerry Ellis performs at The Pheasantry until February 10th 2013

George Dyer At The Pheasantry

The Pheasantry, London

***


This review was first published in The Public Reviews

With a handful of professional colleagues together with a sprinkling of 3rd year students from Mountview combining to form his troupe of vocalists, George Dyer played to a packed out Pheasantry, in an evening of cabaret that comprised mainly lesser known numbers from the musical theatre canon. The show was produced by Speckulation, a company who encouragingly are as committed to supporting young and emerging talent as they are to showcasing the giants of the West End and Broadway.

In a mis-judged choice, Dyer handed the opening number, Arlen and Harburg’s Down With Love to a student who initially struggled with a confident delivery. The song is tough and bears a proud history of having been mastered by both Garland and Streisand in their pomp, so it was perhaps unfair of Dyer/Speckulation to hand such an icebreaker to a novice, performing in front of what was always going to be a critical and discerning (albeit warmly supportive) audience.

Ashleigh Gray was next up with a quirky number, Greta and her consummate professionalism and experience provided a re-assuring note of quality to the night’s singing. Gray gave several further songs through the set, including a simply spine-tingling Not A Day Goes By and quite why this woman has not commanded major recent London roles is a puzzle as she has a voice and presence that is amongst the finest of her generation.

As the show warmed up, so did the student contribution with Maggie Lynne singing an exquisitely delicate Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye prior to Rebecca Brierley’s I’ll Be Here from the chamber musical Ordinary Days, a song of desperate poignancy and sadness but also hope. The number demanded immense and precise acting throughout and Brierley captured the fragility of the melody perfectly. Another Mountview treat was Bronté Barbé’s act 2 opener, Los Penguinos, a novel song about penguins, that included their squawking. Impressively, Barbé got the guttural comedy and the swift reversion to lyrics, spot on. Act 2 got even better with Frances Mayli McCann’s Raven, this talented young professional again delivering a vocal performance of perfection to match that of Dyer at his piano.

And George Dyer evidently is an exceptionally cool, handsome and (to use the modern parlance) sickeningly talented young musician who deservedly commands the respect of his actors and students alike. With Stuart Ness on bass and Sam Edwards on drums, the musical content of the evening was faultless. Perhaps though, this skilled MD is still too young to merit hosting a cabaret night of his own. Some of his patter was witty and revealing, but too much of his dialog centered upon childish jokes and a much repeated curiosity about the Jewish provenance of musical compositions. Appearing in London right now is Lorna Luft, Judy Garland’s younger daughter. Whilst Luft’s voice is (only close to) wonderful and not quite pitch-perfect, her anecdotes are sublime and one could listen to her tales all night. Today’s younger performers would do well to pitch up and learn from Luft that a sparkling cabaret is more than just songs sung superbly. However gifted the star of the show may be, their audience expects to be respected rather than patronised and their repartee should sparkle as much as the songs and music.

25 Year Songbook - Review

The Pheasantry, Londom

***

Music by Matthew Strachan

Lyrics by Matthew Strachan and Bernie Gaughan

The Pheasantry on Chelsea’s Kings Road was a sell-out for this lookback by Matthew Strachan on a selection of his compositions from the last quarter century.

The evening’s 25 song set set drew not only from the Strachan’s stage musicals, but also bore heavy reference to his early composing years, some of which had been spent in Nashville. The USA has clearly providing a significant influence on much of his creativity. His opening two numbers were Tennessee inspired , The Valley, followed by Better Than Him, both painting perceptive pictures of characters from contemporary America, whilst the truly modern song, Hands Up Who’s Looking At Me provided a clever comment on the ubiquitous presence of social networking media. The one performance of the night that jarred was Smells Like Teenage Suicide, a song inspired by aspects of the media response to the Columbine massacre. However noble Strachan’s intentions may have been in writing this song, the irony of his lyrics was stretched too thin, leaving his composition with the potential to deeply upset and offend.

As a writer of witty words, as well as a pianist, Strachan’s talents are immense. At times his performance bore more than a nod to Billy Joel with a liberal twist of Tom Lehrer thrown in, mixing humour and wry political comment, with outstanding keyboard skills. His fingers coaxed the Pheasantry’s grand piano across a range of genres and styles, from blues to ballad to honky-tonk in seamless segues.

Accompanying the man on the night were four accomplished stars of musical theatre, Kim Ismay, Steven Carlile, Riona O Connor and Louise Gold, all of whom were outstanding. With neither props nor costumes, each singer offered a master-class in musical theatre story telling simply through use of voice, face and stage presence. Their vibrancy and talent however offered stark contrast to the fact that Strachan’s vocal strength did not match theirs. If he had given more of the show to the actors, rather than the miserly allocation of one song apiece, the evening would have been considerably closer to a 5 star event.

Strachan is clearly an accomplished musician. As well as his songwriting perhaps his most lucrative creative work to date has been that of writing the music for the TV gameshow Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Those catchy TV tunelets clearly demonstrate that Strachan has an ability to recognize what the public wants to hear. Outside the world of theatre and the music business however, his is a comparatively low profile. It will be interesting to see his work developed to be able to sustain larger mainstream audiences with shows that demand financial success. The quality of his writing suggests he truly has the potential to fill a West End venue.



@jaybeegee63


This review was first published in The Public Reviews