Langford Productions Showcase

Published Friday 16 January 2004 at 13:15 by Marcus Collingbourne

Heather and Zena of Langford Productions once again brought their showcase back to Home Farm Holiday Park and they are to be congratulated for both the thought that went into the show and for its staging and presentation. It is rare to see so much pre-show foyer entertainment at a showcase - on hand to entertain the early bookers were wicked caricaturist Sarah Bailey, excellently delivered and very clever table magic from Jack Bryce, stilt walkers from What A Malarkey, a fun casino from Griffin Casinos and even a gorilla carrying a caged man courtesy of Bright Sparks. Unfortunately, the music was supplied by The Somerset Barnstormers, a supposed tribute to The Wurzels.

So, onto the show proper. After an energetic cancan from Langford Productions’ Moulin Rouge Dancers, the first half was introduced by commere Teddi Munro, whose line in gentle self-deprecating humour and more risque gags from the female perspective kept the audience royally entertained during any pauses in the show. First act onstage was the excellent Kylie La Commotion. There are many Kylie tributes on the circuit these days but while this might not be the most vocally accurate, there is no doubt this is one of the most polished shows around. Backed by two well-presented and beautifully choreographed dancers, whose tight routines and unusual touches really held the eye, the set contained all of the diminutive Aussie songbird’s hits, past and present. Pick of the bunch was Can’t Get You Out of My Head and Kylie’s latest offering, Slow, with a great dance routine using neon tubes.

Featuring what had to be the zaniest haircut of the evening, was juggler and self-billed wizard Merlin. With a nice line in patter, this zany character raced through a repertoire featuring juggling, chair balancing on his chin and a great closing routine in which a playing card signed by a member of the audience was eventually produced from a sliced cucumber. Great fun in the right event, be it meet and greet, corporate or even street entertainment, this artist certainly is a true pro and a skilful performer.

Unusually for a showcase, there was only one female vocalist on the show but in Jennie Robin we were treated to a one who certainly grabbed the audience from the word go. Those expecting standard fare were to be disappointed, as Robin prides herself on her interpretations of songs unusual for the female voice. She certainly delivered with Leave Your Hat On from the film The Full Monty, which was delivered in suitably raunchy style before filling the majority of the remainder of her spot with a medley of tunes including hits as diverse as Rock DJ, Bohemian Rhapsody, Rhythm of the Night and La Vida Loca - to which she added her own homespun rap lyrics, which was not only different but worked surprisingly well, showing a comedic talent as well. Considering she used up so much energy during the rap, it was quite amazing that she had the breath, or the control, to finish her act with a spot of fire-eating.

The Cheekie Boyz are not, as their name might suggest, a drag version of The Cheekie Girls but a male duo, who from their opening number Spirit In The Sky showed they both posses vocal talent. The boys then switched eras and gave us Me and My Shadow with some nice touches of the syncopated vocals from the original. Some nice comedic touches were incorporated as links between the numbers and this is an area they should work on. Their closing number, Status Quo’s Rockin’ All Over the World, was maybe not the best choice but I can see the boys as crowd pleasers on the holiday camp circuit.

It is not often you discover a true entertainment nugget but in Jonathan Miller we might have done just that. This comedy magician, who has a camp presentation that makes Julian Clary seem like Arnold Schwarzenegger, just oozed class. Not only was his magic first rate but his timing impeccable. A whole host of tricks were presented with a great line in patter and the only person who would not enjoy his spot will be the stage managers who will have the unenviable task of clearing up after him. Not only do I see him making a name for himself in this market but he is surely a natch for panto as well. Bookers would do well to make enquiries soon as his diary is sure to fill up fast. Pure gold.

The unenviable task of following Jonathan fell to male vocalist Alex Weatherhill but this young man rose to the occasion by delivering a spot of show tunes that were all delivered with the ease and confidence that belied his years. Don’t Rain on My Parade showed his vocal quality and timing before he finished with a superb rendition of one of the hardest show songs to perform with distinction, Gethsemane from Jesus Christ Superstar. A truly memorable performance from a young man for whom the shows should soon be calling.

Closing the first half was the first band of the evening, six-piece tribute band Simply 80s. With drums, guitar and bass augmented by a male lead and two girls on backing vocals, they raced trough their set of eighties classics including Video Killed the Radio Star, Kids in America and Livin’ on a Prayer before closing the set with what is fast becoming a showcase standard Love Shack. Special mention must go to the Axl Rose lookalike on lead guitar and a great driving bass which provided a rocking backbone of the bands set.

After the interval entertainment which was provided by Bruce Airhead, who proceeded to climb inside a giant balloon and then re-emerge in a different guise. Second half compering duties were taken on by Trashville Tennessee! Dolly Partem and Cassidy Connors are a highly original act. I won’t spoil the surprise but their comedy version of Moving On Up - Gonna Throw Up and a Westlife parody I must get the lyrics for showed an act that was refreshingly different and tremendously entertaining.

A second outing for Spirit in the Sky was chosen as the opening for obvious local favourite Brian Stevens. If Stevens came from northern clubland he would undoubtedly be billed as a ‘personality vocalist’ and he was immediately at ease with the audience and had a pleasant, if not the most powerful, voice and an easy line in patter that seamlessly linked his numbers. My only criticism is his choice of finale in Mack the Knife - this song has been done to death and deserves to be put out of its misery.

On a night that had reached a very high standard of entertainment, comedian Mad Jim Darch didn’t quite hit the mark. From his opening when he performed a whole song instead of just the 16 bars that were needed, I didn’t quite get to grips with his brand of humour. Comedy is one of the hardest forms of entertainment to review as so much of it is subjective but judging by the audience reaction to some of his gags, he has some fair material.

Slick dance routines and tight vocals were the order of the day with next act Total Impact. Obviously a very experienced outfit, this young four-piece of two guys and two girls gave us a varied set that covered the seventies up to the present. Gimme Some Lovin’ and Boogie Wonderland featured as well as a bit of Kylie for good measure. Energy was in abundance throughout the set and particular mention must go to the girls for their powerful vocals, particularly on a great closing number The Jacksons’ Can You Feel It. A quality set from an act that should never want for work.

The Ultimate Tribute To Bryan Adams was, surprisingly, neither a solo act nor a band but instead comprised two guitar playing lads, both taking turns on the lead riffs. All the expected numbers were contained in a well-received set including Summer of ‘69, Heaven and 18 Til I Die. There is no doubt these are good musicians but I felt the vocals were slightly off, though maybe they were slightly thrown by a string breakage halfway through the set which meant there was only one guitar. Apparently the boys can perform with a full band as well as with tracks and I have to say, I think I would rather see them in that guise.

Closing the showcase was a five-piece band hailing from South Wales called The Big Beat Boogie Band or B4 for short. The line up of drums, bass, two guitars, trumpet and sax certainly created a full-on sound on such numbers as Let the Good Times Roll, Dance the Night Away and a rather out of place Tide Is High. The pick of the set was a cracking version of Tequila. While I can see B4 being a good function band, my enjoyment was slightly tempered by the drummers annoying links between numbers.

An audience singalong led by Dolly and Cassidy closed what had been a very well run, excellently staged and varied showcase and, in my opinion, was one of the highest standard I have seen for some time.