Dianne & Vito: Red Hot and Ready
At the beginning of April, Mrs P and I went to the Churchill Theatre in Bromley to see Speakeasy, a dance show starring Karen Hauer and Gorka Marquez (of Strictly Come Dancing Fame). It was 100 minutes of Mamba, Salsa, Charleston, Foxtrot and Samba dance numbers and it was very well received by the audience. I don’t usually go to such shows but I enjoyed it because it was focused, dynamic and “did exactly what it said on the tin”, to invoke a cliché. As a result, we promptly booked tickets for a similar show that was scheduled for July. This one, Dianne & Vito: Red Hot and Ready, features Vito Coppola and Dianne Buswell, another two of the professional dancers from Strictly (as the cool kids call it). Once again the show was at the Churchill Theatre, which is proving to be quite a good local venue.
At the beginning of April, Mrs P and I went to the Churchill Theatre in Bromley to see Speakeasy, a dance show starring Karen Hauer and Gorka Marquez (of Strictly Come Dancing Fame). It was 100 minutes of Mamba, Salsa, Charleston, Foxtrot and Samba dance numbers and it was very well received by the audience. I don’t usually go to such shows but I enjoyed it because it was focused, dynamic and “did exactly what it said on the tin”, to invoke a cliché. As a result, we promptly booked tickets for a similar show that was scheduled for July. This one, Dianne & Vito: Red Hot and Ready, features Vito Coppola and Dianne Buswell, another two of the professional dancers from Strictly (as the cool kids call it). Once again the show was at the Churchill Theatre, which is proving to be quite a good local venue.
Tonight we finally went to the show and I am happy to report that I enjoyed it even more than the previous one. I think what surprised me the most was that the format was different and although there were a lot of very well conceived musical numbers, there was also a great deal of interaction with the two stars and the audience. Tonally, this show was a horse of a different colour to the previous one. Speakeasy was very raunchy and hot, Dianne & Vito: Red Hot and Ready had more of a celebratory nature with several dance sequences focusing upon key aspects of the dancer’s lives. The first was a montage of Dianne’s life in Australia culminating in her following her dream to dance and move to the UK. The second was Vito’s love for his brother, which was depicted through some amazing physical interpretative dance with Brazilian dancer, Jaih Betote.
In between musical numbers Diane and Vito sat on a sofa facing the audience and indulged in some scripted banter. They leaned into comic caricatures of themselves and indulged in stereotypes associated with Australian and Italian culture. The ability to send one’s self up is a worthy skill and the pair were happy to do this. Not all the jokes landed but it was broadly amusing mainly due to Vito and Dianne’s personalities. It was interesting to see these two popular dancers branching out in this fashion. I suspect both stars have an eye to moving into other forms of entertainment and media. The audience certainly enjoyed these “off-piste” moments and it was clear that there was a substantial contingent of über fans attending this evening’s performance.
One of the standout aspects of Dianne & Vito: Red Hot and Ready, are the support dancers and musicians. The other dancers, Jaih Betote, Rose Carne, Lois Faith, Talia Fowler, Robbie Kmetoni, Harijs Locs, and Ana Riera are all outstanding in their field. The two singers, Sam Turrell and Lois Faith, also maintain a high standard of delivery throughout the show. Furthermore, the songs and music were all cleverly arranged by Gareth Weedon (who also played keyboards). Henry Soriano drove the beat of the show with his expert drumming and percussion. The set design was minimalist but still managed to lend itself to several scenarios. The lighting was dynamic and responsive to the mood of the various songs. My only complaint was that some of the lights would on occasion shine directly into the audience’s line of sight but it was not a major problem.
Dianne & Vito: Red Hot and Ready isa good show, which offers more than just the dancing. The numbers cover a variety of styles including ballet and contemporary and the choreography by Jason Gilkison is technically driven and interesting. The various members of the company get to show off their impressive skills, with everyone contributing to the overall experience, rather than competing. As such, this show is a celebration of the two stars’ passion for dance and the opportunities that it has brought them. Upon reflection, some of the comedic asides need some fine tuning but I appreciate that the two stars have chosen to broaden the established format of such musical dance productions. Overall, Dianne & Vito: Red Hot and Ready is an uplifting two hour experience and a great showcase of their talent.
The Signalman & The Waiting Room – Middle Ground Theatre Company
The Signalman and The Waiting Room are two supernatural tales dramatically brought to life by the Middle Ground Theatre Company. Featuring an ensemble cast and minimalist set design, these character driven performances are extremely entertaining and make for suitable ghoulish entertainment at this time of year. I had the pleasure of seeing a performance tonight at the Orchard Theatre in Dartford, as the company currently tours the UK.
The Signalman and The Waiting Room are two supernatural tales dramatically brought to life by the Middle Ground Theatre Company. Featuring an ensemble cast and minimalist set design, these character driven performances are extremely entertaining and make for suitable ghoulish entertainment at this time of year. I had the pleasure of seeing a performance tonight at the Orchard Theatre in Dartford, as the company currently tours the UK.
The first tale, Robert Aickman’s The Waiting Room, is the story of George Pendlebury (Jack Shepherd) who after finding himself marooned has to spend the night in the waiting room of a station. Inclement weather and increasing cold soon take a toll upon the man. Is he subject to a vivid dream or a supernatural visitation? Furthermore is he merely an idle spectator or directly linked to the unfolding events? The second story, Charles Dickens’ The Signalman is the study of a man plagued by a recurring spectre. Each time the ghost appears outside of the railway tunnel by his signal box, death and disaster follows. Why has this entity chosen this particular signalman (Jack Shepherd again) to haunt? Is it the herald of further tragic events?
Both stories are inventively presented, slowly building an atmosphere of tension. There are a few well timed jump scares, which embellish the story arc without mitigating the drama. Performances are universally good and keep the audience focused on the proceedings. Director and set designer Michael Lunney creates a modest environment for the cast to perform in but it works extremely well. The use of lighting, ambient audio effects and projected visual FXs, enhances the presentation immensely giving the cast, especially Shepherd, credible apparitions to react to.
The two stories, separated by a short intermission, run approximately forty five minutes each and make maximum use of their respective running time. This performance driven play offers thought provoking entertainment, as both stories do not necessarily provide a definitive, black and white conclusion. Overall this was a thoroughly entertaining night out and I would certainly be interested in seeing further material produced by the Middle Ground Theatre Company, as they seem to have a clear understanding and respect for this genre of play.