Eastbourne theatre fans are spoilt for choice this week. Whilst the Home Guard are parading at the Devonshire Park Theatre, Swinging Sixties fans are basking in nostalgia next door at the Congress Theatre.
Shout is a new musical based on a concept by Philip George and David Lowenstein. It has a storyline – Ruby (Claire Sweeney) arrives at her aunt's hairdressing salon in Peckham with two friends she met on the train. Aunt Yvonne (Sue Pollard) introduce
s them to Swinging London and Shout is the new women's magazine packed with information every young girl needs to know.
Morgan Large's brilliant set immediately transforms you back forty years – who can forget the picture of the girl with the green face that adorned so many walls? He also designed the costumes and many people watching must have yearned for the return of mini dresses and white PVC boots.
Claire Sweeney and Su Pollard head the strong cast who belt out the songs so familiar to all of us who lived through that magical era. Memories of Cilla Black, Dusty Springfield and Mary Hopkin come flooding back and soon the audience were clapping away.
But this is a musical which spans generations. It is two and a half hours of pure entertainment which was enjoyed by young and old. Judging by the enthusiasm of the Eastbourne audience it will run and run – and so it should. You come out feeling happy, feet tapping all the way home.
Amanda Wilkins
Shout at the Congress Theatre, Eastbourne until tomorrow (May 10). Box office 01323 412000
The full article contains 261 words and appears in Sussex Express Series newspaper.
