REVIEW: Shout! at Worthing
AN infectiously feelgood and funny musical packed with some of the most memorable songs of the '60s and some top-quality singing.
It's no wonder there's hardly a ticket to be had to see Shout! at Worthing's Connaught Theatre this week.
Star of the show, without any question, is the wonderful Su Pollard. Not only does she light up the stage, but what a singing voice she has.
Her rendition of You're My World had to be the highlight of a staggering more than 30 numbers, belted out so relentlessly you hardly have time to breath in between.
Goodness only knows how the cast achieved it but they did and with sparkling performances throughout the fast-moving show. It was so engrossing it seemed to be over before I knew it.
Su plays Peckham hairdresser Yvonne, whose niece, Ruby, comes to stay, bringing with her some girls she met on the train.
Ruby (Claire Sweeney) is the flirty, man-eating type, while Betty (Shona White) wants to settle down with soldier sweetheart Dave.
Then there's naive Georgina (Donna Steele), who takes up acting lessons in the hope of becoming a star.
Shout! follows a decade in their lives, largely through song, and also follows topics of the times through a magazine of the same name.
This is where The Man comes in, the sole male in the show – and a chauvinist, of course.
Howard Jones tells us what's in the latest edition, from The Beatles to the Pill, hair removal to drugs. These interludes are hilarious and beautifully carried through by Jones.
But it's the songs the show is all about. Downtown, Wishin' and Hoping, To Sir With Love, Big Spender, great renditions of Alfie and Shout by Sweeney, Those Were the Days – they are all there and more.
The small but perfectly formed cast of seven (with Louisa Maxwell and Julie Stark joining in as the ensemble), directed and choreographed by Bill Deamer, carry the show through to perfection.
Backed with colourful period costumes and a set to suit all occasions, Shout! is sure to make it to the West End and what a coup to be able to see it in Worthing first.
Shout! ends its Worthing run on Saturday. If there are any tickets left, they are 14.50 to 23.50 from 01903 206206 or www.worthingtheatres.co.uk
Nikki Jeffery
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