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Vern Allen Gala Showcase 2008

Published Wednesday 5 November 2008 at 15:15 by Mark Ritchie

With pre-show bonhomie, magic and balloon modelling being provided by close-up magicians Gary Jones and Tony Everest and balloon man Ozzy D, all was set - with a full house gathering - for the big night in Exmouth.

When comedians are engaged to compere showcase events, they can often detract from the smooth running of the shows by imposing too much of their own individual comic persona, as opposed to providing a springboard for the acts, which is surely their primary function.

In an odd kind of way, West Country comedy favourite Tank Sherman made his engagement as show compere work for him in a quirky and totally individual way, without impinging too much on the acts.

Aside from getting a few names wrong, and one or two general muddles, Sherman, who it has to be said is a shadow of his former self after a huge weight loss, pretty much pulled it off.

Physically Tank Sherman does not really live up to his name anymore. He’s more of a smaller armoured comedy vehicle these days, but irresistibly funny nonetheless.

Young singer Amy Frost was making her trade showcase debut and she did appear congealed with nerves.

A very sweet and well-pitched voice though and, once the basics of stagecraft are learned, as well as certain presentational problems being erased, I’m sure her fledgling career will develop. I happen to know that she is being watched over and schooled by the right kind of people.

Scotty Miller looks like just the kind of mainstream comedy all-rounder who should work and work on the holiday centre scene.

Nothing particularly ground-breaking here, but plenty of energy and pace within the delivery, which suggests a style developing and a comedy career evolving.

Magician Stephen Karl has the look of a close-up magician who is currently attempting to develop a cabaret act.

This good-looking and trendy young performer has every chance, but he will need to learn about pace and direction. These are two disciplines which are vastly different within the framework of a magicians stage act than they are in the more intimate, cosy field of close-up.

Jazz/chanteuse-style singing star Ruby Washington is well known and admired in our industry already, so surely here she was simply reminding us all that she is available for all the better class cabaret work, for which she was surely born. Washington has a great jazz voice and in short she is a very classy lady.

Singer Dan Droid has an approach as quirky as his name. Clearly a refugee from the band market, this young man has a smashing voice and he is a friendly and pleasant singer to spend some time with. Bedecked with a grandad-style titfer, young Mr Droid should find favour in family holiday centres.

Top drawer comedy impressionist Drew Cameron is a real ideas man. A quite brilliant Grand Prix sketch provided the opportunity for topicality, as he lampooned Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross, and was bang on target.

A Joe Pasquale item was just plain outstandingly funny entertainment and the laughs came thick and fast.

Like many impressionists, Cameron seems rather less comfortable when being himself and for some reason he always reminds me of that very funny man Paul Melba.

I have seen the four handed dance troupe TJs at another recent showcase event.

I can only reiterate that bringing dance in as a feature cabaret is a novel idea, but most holiday parks already have dance teams of their own. Surely the addition of a live vocal would seem to be the logical next step for this team.

Function band Ruby and the Reaction look just the ticket for any company function or social club night. In years gone by, most holiday parks will have employed the services of a band like this one.

Ravishing read-head Ruby and her four man Reaction can probably play just about anything and bookers I’m sure will approach with confidence.

Comedian Kevin Kaye is exiled from his native Northeast and now operates from Weston-super-Mare. Billed with the sinister appellation The Devils Advocate, Kaye can turn on the blue stuff when required, but at this show, working squeaky clean, Kaye came across more as a cuddly, comfy comedy uncle. But beware, Kaye can do all the avuncular Mr Nice Guy comedy when called upon, but there is mischief always lurking just below the very humorous surface.

Singer and dancer Cheryl Hadley performed her Rogue Minogue tribute act and, as with previous viewings, my impression was that of a good facial lookalike to the divine pocket superstar.

The addition of a group of dancers and maybe a more showgirl-style costume approach would be invaluable here.

Young magician Alex Lodge has to be a market leader in his field.

Lodge is just the type of young, good-looking performer to take the art forward and his cabinets always look among the best constructed I have come across.

Complete with his lithe and lissom assistant, young Lodge reaffirmed his place in the market with a superbly successful appearance in Exmouth.

Smartly turned out singer Steve Parr gave us a taste of what his cabaret show contains and very entertaining it was too. A slight yet detectable ‘rolling r’ style impediment within Parr’s live vocal could have been down to lazy diction, but it is more likely to need the assistance of a qualified vocal coach, if it is to be corrected.

Comedy magician Rob Hendy will probably do his best work in front of more mature, holiday hotel-style audiences.

High risk audience participation routines require an audience with a degree of forbearance and Hendy is himself more of an old school-style performer.

Singer and saxophonist Katie Jaye presented us with a clash of styles.

A reasonable and pleasant enough singer, this silver-gowned performer gave us some nifty work on the saxophone, which suggests maybe a former band member who is trying her hand at solo work.

Given the style of presentation and the compere’s announcement that she would like to get into cruise work, I’m afraid certain presentational issues will have to be addressed if Jaye is to reach her personal career goal.

I have long been an admirer of comedy entertainer Dickie Mellor.

A procession of props and sight gags combine here for a funny man who delivers mainstream material, but comes across like a creature from the planet Comedy Club.

I like Mellor because there seems to be no-one out there quite like him, but he does still seem to be searching for the common comedy denominator which could propel him to stardom.

Matt Baker is the proud owner of a very special singing voice, which I hope he looks after. He is also extremely engaging and surely has a long career ahead of him.

Looking very dapper and every inch the cabaret star, Baker also offers winsome patter and the approach of a complete young entertainer.

Closing the show out was Neil Diamond tribute artist Michael Douglas, and no, not that Michael Douglas. If the definition of a successful tribute is both looking and sounding like the chosen subject, then Douglas ticks all the tribute boxes.

A pretty smooth evening for Vern Allen and crew and, although the showcase itself was at times a little long-winded, the venue and the company were first class.

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