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Show: The Blues Brothers – Summer Special
Society: London (professional shows)
Venue: London Hippodrome, Cranbourn Street, London WC2H 7JH
Credits: Brought to the stage by Hartshorn - Hook Productions
Type: Sardines
Author: Chris Abbott
Performance Date: 21/07/2017
The Blues Brothers – Summer Special
Chris Abbott | 22 Jul 2017 10:12am
Joshua Mumby (Elwood Blues) & David Kristopher-Brown (Jake Blues) – The Blues Brothers – Summer Special. Photo: Darren Bell
The various Blues Brothers shows are regular visitors to London and the Edinburgh Fringe, as well as many other parts of the UK, but the appeal endures and The Blues Brothers Summer Special has just opened at the small cabaret theatre inside the London Hippodrome casino. It’s an intimate venue for a show that usually plays in much bigger spaces, with a cast of 12 on a small stage and an audience of around 200.
Many of those attending seemed to be returning to the show and the same can be said of most of the cast, who are experienced performers of this repertoire. Whether it counts as theatre or a concert could be a matter of dispute; but who cares, it’s a great show with a non-stop list of familiar rock & roll and blues classics delivered by a cast at the top of their game. Experiencing this in a small cabaret venue adds considerably to the enjoyment.
Director Joshua Mumby ensures the pace never drops and also returns to the role of Elwood, displaying a range of talents from nimble footwork to soulful harmonica. Opposite him and also returning to the role is David Kristopher-Brown as Jake, another impressive mover for a big man, and able to deliver the few quieter moments in the show very convincingly.
As the Stax Sisters, Helen Hart and Hannah Kee are also experienced in these roles, and demonstrate their quick-change skills as well as singing up a storm. Choreography for the Stax Sisters is particularly effective and this is a strength of the whole show, with all twelve of the cast able to hold their own. Kudos, then, to choreographer Lily Howkins, who has worked wonders with a large cast on this tiny stage.
Apart from the seven-piece band, the other cast member is newcomer Arnold Mabhena as Ray, the only person to portray a whole series of characters and holding his own well in this company. His Minnie the Moocher was a highlight, and an indication of the range of music covered in two hours. He also made contact with the audience to an extent that was difficult for the rest of the cast unavoidably trapped behind dark glasses.
That band, with a particularly lively and amusing horn section, is led by the astonishingly agile James Robert Ball, leaping around the stage and appearing to enjoy the whole experience as much as any member of the audience; it was impossible not to watch him at times, even when he was conducting from the piano – not only an impressive musical director but a great performer.
No credits given for lighting or costumes, both of which greatly enhanced the production, particularly the constantly changing outfits with the bees and the Hawaiian suits definitely making their mark – but please shorten the sleeves on Jake’s jacket. With friendly front-of-house staff and spacious bars from which you can watch people losing their money, the London Hippodrome has much to attract, once theatregoers are persuaded inside the casino.
By the time the audience were all on their feet for Let the Sun Shine In and Dancin’ in the Street, it was clear that all had been won over – apart perhaps from one jaded reviewer who continued to sit and scribble notes behind me. Incidentally, it was a sign of the skills involved in this production that the cast knew exactly at what point to get everyone on their feet and then build to a great finish.
Do admire, on the way in, what is left of Frank Matcham’s original Hippodrome interior which houses the main casino floor; the cabaret theatre is in the space originally occupied by the stage when the Hippodrome was known for large casts, animal acts and spectacle rather than cabaret and gambling. For gentlemen, there is also an extra view from the Gents through the large windows looking out onto Leicester Square. Next time you pass the venue, look up for a window with a lot of men standing in line and try to guess what they’re doing.
- : admin
- : 21/07/2017