The Stage

Rhinestone Mondays

Published Monday 5 September 2011 at 11:22 by Nick Dines

In musical comedy Rhinestone Mondays, writer Joe Graham concocts a stereotypical social cross section of line dancing enthusiasts, placing them in the dilapidated Warbleswick Social Club, a snapshot set of what could be any community venue across the country.

A humorous hotchpotch of Ally Holmes’ ditzy and apprehensive Brummie Carol, Pauline Fleming’s doddery Mary, Phil Pritchard’s deluded Ronald (aka Clint) and Ian H Watkins exuding confidence as a camp Duncan may be cliched but the audience laps it up.

Central to proceedings, the blossoming relationship between tongue-tied Tom, Anthony Topham’s divorce-traumatised Geordie and Faye Tozer’s single mum and dance tutor Annie, appears genuine, during moments of all too rare yet welcome emotion.

Boasting a musical marathon of all the major country numbers, including Ring of Fire and Topham’s heart-warming rendition of John Denver’s Annie’s Song, each character has their opportunity in the spotlight to demonstrate their vocal proficiency.

In under-used Lyn Paul’s feisty cougar Sophie, old favourites such as Crazy are executed with that earthy delivery they deserve, demonstrating great feeling and familiarity from a woman that has lived, loved and lost.

Equipped with the show’s crowd-pleasing one-liners, Shaun Williamson is in fantastic form as scene-stealing barman Brian. His desperate measures to retain his dwindling punters provide a constant source of amusement, as does his tickling rendition of Blue Bayou.

Mercury Theatre is the litmus test ahead of an upcoming national tour and, while the line dancing is surprisingly minimal, this may be to this production’s benefit, enticing the theatre fan as well as the country fan. A show you tip your Stetson off to.

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