Now a member of the well-respected Trevor George Entertainments Organization, Kernow Entertainments could be expected to produce a showcase which ticks all the boxes. Within the surroundings of an atmospheric and well laid out cabaret room, producer Anne George made a fine job of introducing the proceedings. With all the professional flair and charisma which comes from being born into a showbusiness family, she got things off to a flying start by introducing vocalist Lisa Winwood.
In her little black dress, Winwood has an infectious smile and a pleasant demeanour. With a steady rather than remarkable voice she is an animated performer, who connected with the audience as she belted out numbers from pop history - contrasting Lulu with Lady Ga Ga. She also gave a competent rendition of the Bryan Adams ballad Everything I Do.
First half compere Mick Dundee battled gamely to grab the largely unresponsive crowd. His television advertisement routine was perhaps a little too familiar and his attempt to get a Mexican wave going must have felt to him like pushing the Titanic uphill. So he was probably relieved to leave things in the hands of guitarist/vocalist Adam Fox, a seasoned Johnny Cash lookalike who brightened the proceedings with a nicely sung Pretty Woman.
Fox has a fixed smile, a somewhat peculiar delivery and, like so many cabaret artists these days, an over-reliance on saturated backing tracks. Somebody should tell him that the effect he put on the guitar to sound like a banjo sounded nothing like one. Also, George Formby did not play the banjo - he played the ukulele. However, Fox can keep a club audience entertained, especially when he sticks to favourites such as Elvis’ Wonder of You.
Atomic 80s are a four-piece combo fronted by a Blondie-esque singer. That said, the leader singer was a much happier looking performer than Debbie Harry. She did a very good job of Kim Wilde’s Kids in America and Whitney’s I Wanna Dance with Somebody. The guitarist fronted Video Killed the Radio Star and this proved to be the highlight of a tight little set.
Sean Haydon calls himself an alternative magician because, I guess, he wears a T-shirt and sports a mini afro hairstyle. He has a slightly new slant on the bucket/head routine but most of what he did - mind-reading, straightjacket, etc - is standard fare. He presented it all competently but, overall, he lacked warmth and touched upon being offensive.
Introduced as “the little man with the big voice” Mark-Andrew Smith delivered exactly what it says on the package. Playing on his lack of height, he rushed all over the floor, lighting up the room with a charming smile. He performed songs such as Mrs Jones and Sway with gusto, but his powerful voice lacked discipline and was often all over the place. He needs to make it less gimmicky. His strongest number by far was his last one, Superstition, by which time he had really got it together.
Danny Posthill is a comedy impressionist. It was refreshing to hear some new voices in a repertoire which included Beckham, Pasquale, Michael MacIntyre, Johnny Vegas and the two Carrs (Jimmy and Alan), but unfortunately his Frank Carson was often tinged with hints of his Billy Connolly. These impressions were mostly good, but he needed to concentrate on keeping them spot on. Sadly, material wise, it was familiar ground.
The Girls Unlimited moved well and their choreography was pretty tight. Vocally they have done their work too, keeping up to date with a Lady Ga Ga cover and the old Depeche Mode number, I Just Can’t Get Enough, which has recently been revamped by the Saturdays. They should keep their date sheet full.
With the first half in the bag, the charity aspect of the evening was emphasised by an auction of balloon models. The mechanics of this were handled with expertise by established comic Paul Eastwood. There were also a couple of bucket collections. In all, it was announced that these efforts raised a commendable figure of well over £400 for the Parkinson’s Society.
Danny Posthill returned to do a slick job of compering the second half. This was opened by Stevie G, a singer and saxophonist. Not exactly a master of his instrument, he played averagely whilst chatting easily between numbers such as Baker Street (of course) and a lively jitterbug/swing medley.
Vocalist Nikita Scott is a classy performer with engaging presentation. With nothing aloof about her, she played stylishly to the gallery, also proving that she has a fine voice as she effortlessly trilled through songs such as One Night Only and Bad Boys. Closing with a beautifully rendered A Moment Like This, Scott was one of the evening’s highlights.
This left Lee Goode with a hard act to follow, but he enthusiastically rose to the challenge. Using a wealth of props, his comedy delivery was very much “in your face”, but it came across as rather strained and a touch irritating. Much of the material groaned with age. I remember doing the I Believe routine when I was a Butlins redcoat in the early seventies. Nothing wrong with reviving old favourites if they are good, of course, but occasionally his choices were a touch tasteless. Some of the lyrics in his supermarket parody were quite clever, however.
Illusionist James Long knows his stuff, carrying off tried and tested box illusions rather well. The levitation of his female assistant was particularly convincing and the deft card magic was impressive. Nothing new, but this kind of act is always good to see on a variety bill.
Daniel James is a young singer from the old school - a style which has made a mainstream comeback with the popularity of Michael Buble. Therefore, Buble’s hit I Just Haven’t Met You Yet had to be included, along with Enrique Inglesias’ Hero and a respectful version of the Matt Monro classic Portrait of My Love. James possesses a likeable stage persona and a voice which does justice to the greats he seeks to emulate.
First half compere Mick Dundee then performed his own full spot, endearing himself more than he had in his earlier appearance. He is actually quite a capable comedian and amidst the old gags there was a sprinkling of originality.
And then came Caroviolina, whose build up and entrance promised a great deal more than it actually delivered. In a gold, sparkly mini dress she put a great deal into her electric violin playing, complete with sexy poses, thrusting and pouting. Her over the top backing tracks, alas, simply did not disguise the fact that she is actually not that good a player. Regardless of all the fine work she did, she did not display much in the way of feel, and her intonation was far from true.
Caroviolina was joined by singer/pianist Martyn Lucas who, despite generously saying that he did not wish to steal her thunder, went on to completely upstage her. His Candle in the Wind and Music of the Night were stunningly performed with strength and skill, justifiably bringing the house down. Caroviolina followed him with a medley which included Zorba the Greek and some Irish fiddling - sufficiently foot-tapping stuff to get the crowd going again.
Closing the show were the old time rock n’ roll quartet the Crestas. Complete with stand-up bass, these guys have obviously been around for a while, and they really got into it by their second number. It was all a bit samey, but such is the nature of the style. The dance floor soon had quite a few bodies strutting their stuff as the band concluded with a rousing Rockabilly Rebel.
Also worth mentioning are the pre-show acts who did a sterling job entertaining in the reception area. I was not able to see all of them up close but I took note of the excellent classical singer Stephanie Coombes and Alan Jenkins, a vocal guitarist whose dexterity on his instrument is a cut above many. Balloons and magic were handled by Mr Tiz and Mr Bamboozle, and the close-up prestidigitation by Gary Jones and Graham Prigg. There was even a circus-style speciality in the form of Peteza and a pianist/vocalist Steve Peters.
All in all, a variety show which lived up to its name.
Penstowe Holiday Park, Cornwall, October 5
Production information can change over the run of the show.
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