The Ayes Have It, The Ayes Have It - Review

Leicester Square Theatre, London

****

Directed by Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh

Alex Salmond, John Bercow and David Davis in Edinburgh

Transferring to London from the Edinburgh Fringe for one night only The Ayes Have It, The Ayes Have It is probably best described as the mother of all parliaments' bastard child. 

Director and producer Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh assembled a line-up of politicians and pundits to debate the motion “Brexit has been a disaster and now must be reversed” with the venerable Alex Salmond leading the proponents against David Davis’ team opposing.

Amidst what can only be described as a partisan audience - hardly surprising for a show staged in London’s city centre, the capital being fairly described on the night by opposer and broadcaster Mike Graham as “the 27th star on the EU flag” - the discussions were feisty, but served well in what a cross-panel consensus broadly agreed was the importance of taking debate outside of the confines of Westminster.

It spoke much for the flaws of the proposing team - that also included Gina Miller and Andrew Marr - that no serving parliamentarians could be found to support the motion. Baroness Claire Fox proved an eloquent and above all informed opposer, able to cite not only facts, but also argue powerfully that the Rejoin camp is populated largely by those with a “misty-eyed view of the EU” matched only by “their self-loathing of the UK”.

John Bercow chaired the proceedings from an uncharacteristically unbiased perspective, with the whole gig being enhanced by two spirited contributions on either side of the motion from Cora and Dominic, two sixth-formers from the Chestnut Grove Academy. A curious interjection post-interval came from talented impressionist Lewis MacLeod. Whilst his vocals were spot on, MacLeod's content was a tad trite.

The Ayes were always going to have it in a Leicester Square venue. But who knows? Perhaps if Sheikh’s show is taken on the road the evening’s outcomes may be different.

A Pissedmas Carol - Review

Leicester Square Theatre, London

***

Directed by Katy Baker

The company of A Pissedmas Carol

For the festive season at the Leicester Square Theatre, A Pissedmas Carol sees half a dozen actors (no cast list, no names) tell Dickens’ classic morality tale, but with a twist. Each night one of the company has consumed a copious amount of alcohol before curtain-up and takes their part in the show blind drunk.

To be fair, the whole gig has been well rehearsed and there are liberal quantities of modern Xmas songs woven into the narrative to ease the evening along. The pissed performer is, by their nature, a loose cannon on stage and so all the cast are dab hands, not only at their rehearsed lines but also at improvising their way around their inebriated colleague as the story unfolds.

The songs are well sung and on the night of this review (20th December) the drunk female performer sung a spectacular solo number particularly beautifully. The classic yarn is cantered through at a cracking pace too, which all makes for an eclectic, lively show.

Set your expectations low. These are low-brow festive frolics that lack the raunchy filth of a truly adult pantomime. But if you approach the show fuelled with a modest amount of alcohol yourself, you won't be disappointed. Fun times! 

Runs until 7th January 2023

Audra McDonald in Cabaret - Review

Leicester Square Theatre, London


*****

Audra McDonald

At Leicester Square theatre until April 15th, you have the unique opportunity to see multi Tony award winning actress Audra McDonald performing in an intimate, phenomenal cabaret with host, Seth Rudetsky and her talented husband, Will Swenson.

One wonders if McDonald, being such an idolised performer in the wolrd of  musical theatre can live up to the sheer gravitas behind her name and will deliver? But what’s the use of wondering, because from the start she delivers a performance that is full of unabashed charm, wit and flawless talent.

Each song is performed with a different and captivating energy and the ease with which McDonald conveys the narrative of each piece pulls at your heartstrings and proves she’s deserved all of her Tony awards. 

Rudestky is a highly skilled pianist whose accompaniment and interjecting harmonies (and the occasional comical jab), compliment McDonald’s power house voice beautifully.

The evening, while predominantly a musical-filled event, is also dotted with anecdotes from McDonald about her family life and career, as well as a fair few jokes that make the evening fly by. As well as talking about her career and achievements on stage and screen, she’s also clearly a caring and devoted mother and wife. The visible passion and adoration with which she speaks about the love for her daughters (who were backstage at the time) is beautiful to witness 

The evening's highlights were a beautiful rendition of Moments In The Woods from Into the Woods a show McDonald is eager to one day play and a jaw-dropping take on Kander and Ebb's Maybe This Time from Cabaret, which had the entire house in awe. 

Audra will be doing an array of different material throughout her next three performances so no one evening will be quite the same and them of course she will be back over the summer at the Wyndhams theatre performing as Billie Holiday in Lady's Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill. 

Book to see her, there’s no finer voice around.

In residence until April 15th

Reviewed by Charlotte Darcy

Photo credit: Autumn de Wilde

Jeepers Creepers - Review

Leicester Square Theatre, London

**

Written by Robert Ross

Directed by Terry Jones

Rebecca Vaughan and David Boyle

Marty Feldman was a unique comedy turn who could have been a giant. His distinctive boggled eye face and wild hair set him apart visually and as a peer of some of the late 20th century comedy greats he wrote for, and performed with, the best. Jeepers Creepers written by Robert Ross looks at Feldman away from the stage and studio, focussing instead on the philanderer and his devoted, even if humiliated, spouse Lauretta.

With Terry Jones at the helm expectations ran high – yes, one knows that Feldman was taken tragically young and that his life was difficult – but we also know that he was a gifted comedian. So somewhere in a play about a comic, directed by the man who with Monty Python’s Life Of Brian gave the world one of its funniest ever movies, there’s a hope that along with the poignancy, there may also be some belly laughs too – and Ross has certainly tried, interjecting Feldman-esque gags along the way. But ultimately and to borrow a line from the play, Jeepers Creepers “does to comedy what the RAF did to Dresden” – and it all makes for a three act offering that’s more endurance than entertainment.

Notwithstanding the confines of the Leicester Square Theatre’s basement Studio, Jones’ direction plods. The two actors, to their credit however, are magnificent. David Boyle captures the essential mania of the man, in a performance that convinces and which must be exhausting. Likewise Rebecca Vaughan as Lauretta, drawn by the deepest of loves to a man whose infidelities continuously break her heart, also puts in a fabulous turn.

But ultimately there are neither tears nor guffaws to be found here. Jeepers Creepers makes for a laboured drama-documentary that shows only Feldman’s dark side and offers nothing of his genius to today’s younger audiences who may know little, if anything, of the man. An opportunity wasted.

Runs until 20th February

Audra McDonald In Concert - Review

Leicester Square Theatre, London


*****

There are occasions as a reviewer when it is simply a privilege to attend a performance. Sunday at the Leicester Square Theatre and in a one-night only visit, Audra McDonald ending her 63 city tour was one such occasion.

Much has been made of McDonald's 6 Tony wins and she is typically spoken of with reverence. But with it having been nigh on 15 years since she last performed in London, it has only been those lucky enough to have seen her perform on the other side of assorted oceans that have been able to testify to her on-stage reputation. 

A 90 minute set, accompanied throughout by Andy Einhorn on piano, saw the diva take us on a tour of the American Musical Theatre Songbook stretching back almost a century. Opening with the gorgeous but little known When Did I Fall In Love? from Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick's Fiorello, the audience experienced for the first time the vocal magnificence that underline's McDonald's performances - and with that one opening number McDonald confirmed just how deserved her reputation is.

Her voice is akin to the 7 litre V12 engine found in a Rolls Royce Phantom. Smooth, immaculately tuned and able to purr perfectly. Yet also, effortlessly and in a blink, able to glide to a display of breathtaking power. That is Audra McDonald.

Her selection ranged from Gershwin to Jason Robert Brown, giving Brown's Stars and the Moon from Songs For A New World a gorgeously assured delivery. McDonald's interpretation of Sondheim's The Glamorous Life (a part confessional, sung from the perspective of her loving teenage daughter who has had to grow up with a mom on tour) displayed the most remarkable arrangement, condensing a number designed for three voices (at least) into a sensational solo.

But it was in tackling Broadway's biggest songs that McDonald re-defined unsurpassable. From Porgy and Bess her Summertime was sublime, before she eased into one of the greatest 11 o'clock numbers ever, Maybe This Time from Kander & Ebb's Cabaret. The song has the most delicious of slow builds and the audience listened in a rapturous anticipatory awe as McDonald effortlessly scaled the number's delicious key changes, leading to a final reprise that tingled every spine in the room. 

Cunningly - and whilst not a classic, still a Kander & Ebb gem - McDonald broke our hearts with a delicately plaintive Go Back Home from The Scottsboro Boys. Hop a freight? McDonald had me riding a boxcar, sobbing.

The evening closed with McDonald treating us to her Mother Abbess, as broadcast live in the USA's Sound Of Music a few years ago. Again, she didn't just Climb Ev'ry Mountain, she scaled its lofty crags, perching on vocal footholds that lifted her to heights not often seen on the London cabaret circuit. We rose as one to salute her.

Epstein: The Man Who Made The Beatles - Review

Leicester Square Theatre, London

***

Written by Andrew Sherlock
Directed by Jen Heye

Andrew Lancel and Will Finlason

Brian Epstein was the manager who took The Beatles from a group of unknowns to global stardom. A gay music journalist who was to fatally overdose at the age of 34, Epstein: The Man Who Made The Beatles is a meticulously researched two-hander that charts the impresario's troubled life.

Andrew Lancel reprises the title role he created in Liverpool two years ago. There is a lot of content in Andrew Sherlock's writing and Lancel's performance is a well honed critique of a complex man. Sherlock introduces a nameless foil, This Boy, to debate, flirt with and challenge Epstein, drawing his life story out through the narrative. Will Finlason, another returnee, re-creates Epstein's fictional sparring partner and like Lancel, gives of himself completely, both roles peppered with lengthy monologues.

The downfall of this piece is in its title. Any play introducing itself with a six word mission statement is warning the audience that the 90 minutes or so of ensuing content may well lack analysis. Like a pack of Beatles Top Trumps cards Sherlock's prose is crammed with facts, but it’s all heavy on the narrative with little to power the piece along. Projected images and brief snatches of music suggest the era and keep production costs down, but the drama never really takes flight. That being said, to the production’s credit, the programme is a treasure trove of useful information and a damn good read.

Epstein: The Man Who Made The Beatles gets too bogged down in the detail of the man’s life including his promiscuous sexuality, without giving enough of a dramatic structure to care about. It lacks the tragic spotlight that Taboo (the Boy George musical) was able, for example, to shine upon Philip Sallon. Maybe the show needs more songs? Maybe it needs a thorough overhaul? Who knows. The play certainly teaches much about the facts of Brian Epstein's life, but offers little comment or understanding of the man. More educational than entertaining, it’s strictly for the historians.

Runs until 6th September 2014

De Profundis

Leicester Square Theatre

****

Music and lyrics by Paul Dale Vickers

Directed by Stuart Saint

Alastair Brookshaw

Three years after his acclaimed performance as Leo Frank, imprisoned on trumped up charges in Jason Robert Brown’s Parade, Alastair Brookshaw finds himself once again behind bars. The actor who is a master of profoundly fragile strength is once more playing a prisoner of conscience, this time the author and poet Oscar Wilde, who in the late 19th century was imprisoned for gross indecency a charge that arose from his (illegal at the time) homosexuality.

De Profundis is drawn from the 50,000 word letter that Wilde wrote (but never sent) to his lover Lord Alfred Douglas, whilst incarcerated in Reading Prison. A solo performance, it is presented at the Leicester Square Theatre as the chosen show from The New Musical Project competition held earlier this year.

As with his Leo Frank, Brookshaw again astonishes. Commanding the compact stage of the (packed) Lounge space, for one hour the shows' melodies range from ballad to distinctly upbeat as this beautifully talented tenor captures the tortured soul of one of England's most celebrated writers.

Paul Dale Vickers has chosen wisely in his extracts from the original opus. From an opening reference to "we are the grotesques" in which we glean the misery of Wilde’s condition, through to the glorious melody of I Must Have Love In My Heart, a song that that gives Brookshaw a chance to fill the room with his voice, the work is a finely balanced combination of styles. 

The musical highspot of the show coincides with Wilde’s nadir, as he learns whilst imprisoned that the court has removed his children from his care. The pain is acute and Brookshaw sings How Sick The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name with such controlled rage that there is an almost Gethsemane-like quality to his treatment. It's a spine tingling moment in such an intimate theatre. 

Stuart Saint has delivered a gem in his interpretation of this new writing. Enhanced by Jonny Dickie's subtle sound design and clever lighting, the dank isolation of a Victorian jail is convincingly suggested. This ballad of Reading gaol though merits a wider audience and an auditorium with grander acoustics than a sticky-floored Leicester Square basement. Brookshaw's mellifluous tones are frequently deployed as a chorister in the splendour of both St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey and to hear him deliver Vickers' majestic melodies in a classic venue, built with echoing walls of stone, would be a treat.

Until then, Alastair Brookshaw serves his current term until 8th June. Visitors are most definitely encouraged.

Runs until 8th June

Saucy Jack And The Space Vixens

Leicester Square Theatre, London

***

Book by Charlotte Mann

Lyrics by Charlotte Mann and Michael Fidler

Music by Jonathan Croose and Robin Forest

Directed by Stuart Saint

Jamie Birkett

Michael Fidler, the creator of Saucy Jack And The Space Vixens suggests in his programme notes that we are all Space Vixens at heart. Whilst Fidler may be right, the fact that it has taken nigh on 18 years for his celebration of disco to arrive in London's West End, suggests that there hasn't been too much demand to explore that particular zeitgeist. Fidler also says that when he wrote the show he (rather arrogantly) envisioned a "Cheers" set in outer space. Well it's safe to say that that dream also, has yet to be realised. This show is a fantastic froth of intergalactic crime busting, set against a glitter encrusted culture of a disco beat and gratuitous fetishism and if you’re sober, it’s rather dull. If you've had a couple of beers then the show may well be brilliant, but then of course you run the risk of missing out on appreciating the truly outstanding collection of talent that Stuart Saint has assembled. It's a tough call.

The cast is actually magnificent. There is not one weak link and a handful of the company are outstanding. Ralph Bogard is Jack, an outrageously flamboyant and murderous character, who made up, resembles a hungover Steve Strange in his pomp. But boy can this boy act. He holds the audience in the palm of his hand throughout and like many of the cast, gives the material far more talent than it deserves. Wonderful too is Lisa Gorgin, who masters three characters during the course of the show and whose two big solos Vulva's Tango (subtle huh?) and Space Trucking are fabulous. Big up too to David Malcolm whose transvestite Booby Shevalle is the most convincing drag turn to have been seen at the LST in quite a while. Leanne Jones, gracing a London show for the first time since becoming a mum, proves that her vocal talents have only grown alongside her ample maternal curves and she remains, as always, a delight. Finally the Offies nominated trouper Jamie Birkett again proves herself the most versatile of actresses. Impressive glittered heels giving Birkett a statuesque aura never seen before and allowing this gem of an actress to dominate the stage in a glorious trio of speech, presence and song. 

Technically, the producers need to have performed much better. Too many words are inaudible and whilst the lyrics may well not be worth listening to, it would be nice to be given the choice. And whose idea was it to have a character who has been written around being a sax player, being then made to mime his sax playing to a backing track? That is a shameful piece of corner cutting and starves both the production and the writing of some rare passionate praise that it might otherwise have garnered.

Saint writes bravely in the programme of how developing this production gave him a positive focus in life as he battled cancer and notwithstanding this critic's gripes, if the power of disco offered him such a force for good, then it is to be cheered and celebrated for nothing is more important than such a journey of recovery. But showbiz demands that such sentiment be put to one side and as a piece of musical theatre writing Saucy Jack And The Space Vixens disappoints. To mis-quote a certain phrase, whilst this show does indeed remain unpolished, it has unquestionably been rolled in an awful lot of glitter.

Runs until 15th September

Patti Lupone

Leicester Square Theatre, London

*****

  

The phrase "every cloud has a silver lining" was defined last night at London's Leicester Square Theatre when Patti Lupone, in residency until Sunday, had her piano malfunction shortly into her act. Whilst the problem was addressed and until a replacement keyboard sourced Lupone, in conversation with host/pianist, Seth Rudetsky, expanded the chat section of her act from inter-song fillers, to a far more revealing Q&A and a show that stretched from two to three hours, could have happily continued all night, such was the wit and disclosure of the banter, combined with the singer’s sublime talents.

It's nearly 30 years since Miss Lupone created the Tony and Olivier winning roles of Evita on Broadway and Fantine in London respectively and her backstage tales were sparkling gems that burned a glorious arc through the years right up to the present era. She recounted her withering response to John Caird's suggestion that in Les Miserables, after Fantine's death, the Broadway diva should simply fall in with the rest of the ensemble. Lupone went on to share a devastating observation on the more recent appalling behaviour of her (unnamed) Broadway leading lady in Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown whilst her relating of the sad commercial life of Schwartz's The Bakers Wife was made all the more painful by her expanding upon the history behind its beautiful (but axed) song Meadowlark which she then went on to sing, wonderfully.

It is an inspired move that pairs Lupone with Rudetsky for this show. Back home in the USA he hosts a coast to coast satellite radio show, On Broadway and he jokingly refers to himself as America's Elaine Page. The man has encyclopaedic knowledge of musical theatre, silky skills at the keyboard and above all, the respect and trust of Miss Lupone. The first half of the evening is given over to his stand up routine that is a combination of autobiographical reflections and a sharing of amusing musical theatre mishaps over the years. It works and it warms the audience up nicely for the chanteuse's arrival after the interval.

In a classy comedic touch the singer truly does not know what number Rudestky has selected to open her set with until the opening bars. It’s a fresh touch that shatters the fourth wall and creates an automatic and relaxed bond with her audience. Later in the act, bespectacled and with a disarming honesty, she will occasionally reach for sheet music to remind herself of lyrics. Do any of the audience care that she needs prompting? Hell no. Her voice has clearly matured with the years but her delivery remains magnificent and her belt is still simply spine-tingling. I Dreamed A Dream was the moving treat we all expected, but her explanation that the spectacular five note melodic journey of the word “shame”  in the line “ as they turn your dreams to shame”, was her idea, was a nugget of golden theatre history. (For Les Mis geeks, that  line was originally scored to mirror Eponine’s “but he never saw me there” from One Day More) Her selection from Evita included a fabulous Rainbow High, complete with audience participation for the song's ensemble lines, that proved Lupone to be more than still up to the task of delivering one of Lloyd-Webber's more challenging compositions.

With other highlights of the evening including some wonderful "mockney" nods to Lionel Bart's Oliver and a sprinkling of Sondheim and Cole Porter, her set list was as diverse as the chats with Rudetsky were revelatory, and witnessing Lupone perform, close up, in this venue's comparative intimacy was little short of a privilege. Tim Rice famously had Evita sing of her own  "little touch of star quality". Many years on, Lupone has far more than just a little touch. The woman is an icon. Not to be missed.

Runs until June 23 2013

Seth Rudetsky performs Dissecting Broadway solo for one night only on June 22 2013

 

Stop Kiss

Leicester Square Theatre, London


***

Written by Diana Son

Directed by Noah James

Olivia Hunter  and Rae Brogan

Stop Kiss is a grim piece of theatre, charting the impact of a brutal hate crime committed against young New Yorker Sara, by a homophobe who spied her kissing girlfriend Callie on a Central Park bench. Written by Diana Son in 1998 and rarely performed in the UK, the play interweaves flashbacks of the burgeoning love between the two women with present day scenes addressing the aftermath of Sara’s beating.

Rae Brogan as infant school teacher Sara proves herself as a convincing and very versatile young actress. Her accent and her attitude are well maintained throughout and there is an electric tenderness of attractiveness around her that explains Callie’s growing love for her. Brogan manages the frequent switches from recovering coma victim to a vivacious pre-attack lover skilfully and is perhaps the main reason for seeing this production.

Olivia Hunter’s distraught Callie, on stage for nearly all of the play’s length, tackles a huge role, but never really breaks out of seeming to try too hard. Whilst her enthusiasm in the flashback scenes of petulant playful argument and flirting with Sara works well, her grief in the scenes that are set after the attack, lack gravitas. To be fair, such distress is a tall order for any performer to deliver well, however under the merciless scrutiny of a (very up-close) audience, anything less than a five-star portrayal of such agony, delivered by an actor at the top of their game, runs the risk of appearing flawed. Georgia Buchanan plays a stolid investigating cop and veteran Victoria Kempton puts in a sympathetic performance as an elderly witness to the beating. The two men in the cast, Jamael Westman and Seb Blunt whose characters have enjoyed relationships with Callie and Sara respectively, both put in performances that are frankly too wet behind the ears and almost detract from the professionalism of the production, though in their defence, both roles are poorly fleshed out by Son.

Noah James makes a competent directorial debut in Libertine Productions' first show,  but whilst the play’s message is still relevant and also strong, its writing and structure lack a similar strength. It becomes just too predictable, as the audience becomes accustomed to realising that the next emotive  flashback, or beep of the hospital cardiac monitor, is only likely to be a few minutes away. Stonewall have lent their support to this piece and if its argument moves you, then buy a ticket and cheer it on.

Runs to March 9th 2013 

Dick! - Review

Leicester Square Theatre, London


***

Written and directed by Stuart Saint





Miss Dusty O and Nathaniel Tapley

There was a spectacular opening on Leicester Square last night. No, it wasn’t the premiere of the Les Miserables movie, rather the intensely gothic made up mouth of Queen Runt, performed by Lucyelle Cliffe, firing off crude but witty obscenities at the audience of Dick!, this season's adult panto offering from the Leicester Square Theatre.

Stuart Saint has written and directed the show that is more inspired by young Whittington’s dick, than by his ultimate path to City Hall and the show’s plot, such as it is, has more holes in it than Dick’s ship the Leaky Vessel, upon which much of the action is set. Loaded with seasonally awful puns, saucy double entendres, as well as a generous helping of cheesy corn and some immaturely offensive filthy gags, there is something for everyone in this six handed romp.

The cast is a combination of seasoned performers and youthful talent. Leading the line is the wonderful drag queen Miss Dusty O, as Sofonda Cox, with a roving eye  for Dick’s manly charms. Cliffe’s evil Runt is a delightfully over the top baddy, out to thwart Dick’s ambitions. Nathaniel Tapley plays our hero’s cool sophisticated cat, with some of the evenings funniest lines enhanced by his sardonic delivery. Of the younger cast members, Rae Brogan stands out with a coquettish (cockettish?) performance as the delightfully named Alice Fitz-Nicely, a London streetwise gangsta kid who is the subject of Dick’s desire, whilst she herself is in pursuit of the key to unlock her chastity belt.

The show is bawdy, filthy and fun. Some of the jokes are hilarious (particularly when Runt, whilst pretending to be a tree, is used as a toilet)  some will offend and much of the plot is too shallow to float a canoe on, let alone the Leaky Vessel. Nonetheless, have a few drinks to loosen up the inhibitions, be prepared to be mercilessly picked on if you are in the first two rows, and enjoy one of the dirtiest Christmas nights in the West End.

Runs until 20 January

Songs From the American Motel - Review

Leicester Square Theatre

***

This review was originally written for The Public Reviews

9 February 2012

Music & Lyrics : Ezra Axelrod

Director: Martina Bonolis

Songs From The American Motel showcases the recently released album of the same name, from American singer songwriter Ezra Axelrod.

The Lounge at the Leicester Square Theatre has been cleverly transformed into a seedy American motel room, adorned with a bed, of course, but also with empty Doritos packs, used beer cans and bedside lamps with cracked red shades, tawdry items that instantly suggest the down-market establishments in which Axelrod has “banged his way across America”.

The songs chart the writer’s journey – as a gay adolescent, pressured into conforming to the straight expectations of his Oregon small-town peers and poignantly described in “Around Here”, through to the present day, gloriously looking back on his relationships to date, and celebrating his sexuality.

.Some of Axelrod’s writing is beautiful. “10 Million Lights” is a soulful ballad, whilst “American Motel” is a brash raunchy number, epitomising what to him is clearly the delicious seediness of relationships consummated behind motel room doors.

Other numbers however lacked impact. “Father” performed after a spoken tribute to Axelrod’s late grandfather, was a softly written song that somehow missed a truly moving dimension. And in “Strangers” the emotional impact of the song similarly failed to register, perhaps again because the structure of the melody was too simple, not reaching the depth of the message of the lyrics.

Accompanied by 6 performers, the close harmonies were tight throughout and the ensemble excelled. Willemijn Steenbakkers on violin was a delight, and Tim Oxbrow impressed on vocals. Tom Parsons of Avenue Q fame proved a worthy bass player and vocalist.  Perhaps too many of the songs were Axelrod solos and it would have added depth to the evening to have further exploited the other singers, all of whom were on stage throughout the set. Also bear in mind that the Lounge is a tiny venue and unless you are sat in the front row it can be difficult to see all of the action.

Overall, some good songs, but the evening’s humour could have been funnier, and some of Axelrod’s narrative less schmaltzy and clichéd. The show’s publicity comprises a clever Photoshopped montage of Ezra pillow fighting with himself in a motel bedroom. A neat image that turns out to be a little more punchy than the show it is designed to promote.

Runs until March 3