Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance, Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne until September 5
THERE was a time when summer at Eastbourne's Devonshire Park Theatre meant a season of thrillers and a farce.
Since Eastbourne Theatres started staging their in-house productions the summer seasons have become better and better and this is one of the best.
First we had a world premiere of an episode of Last of the Summer Wine never seen on television, now we have Chris Jordan's own creation Gotta Sing Gotta Dance - Mark 2.
The talented cast of three men and three women give us songs from 50 shows in just under two and a half hours. How they change character and remember all the songs and dance moves is amazing and Chris has directed the show so it moves swiftly from one number to another.
He has engaged a West End cast and a top choreographer Nick Winston and it shows. I heard comments from the audience as I came out, "what a brilliant show" was the norm.
There were several highlights - I dreamed a dream and Empty Chairs at Empty Tables from Les Miserables, two songs from Oliver, Wilkommen from Cabaret and one unusual contribution which I loved - Taylor the Latte Boy performed by Lucinda Lawrence.
But no one member of the cast stands out above the others - they were all top class performers - Stephane Anelli, Verity Bentham, Lucinda Lawrence, Carrie Sutton, Barnaby Thompson and Ashley Jake Trow.
This is not just a compilation of song and dance - there are some very funny moments too - like the guest appearance of the puppet Mother Superior in How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria from The Sound of Music.
The icing on the cake has to be the whirlwind tour of the current West End musicals performed in three minutes towards the end of Act Two.
Gotta Sing Gotta Dance is on at the Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne until September 5 so there is time to see it more than once!
Amanda Wilkins
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Weather for Lewes
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 0 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: -5 C to 2 C
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