Riddles and Romance Review - A revue of songs by Clive Richard Davis at the Underbelly Boulevard in Soho.
Posted By Tim Todd | Posted 5 days ago
By Samuel
This intimate and charming venue was the perfect setting for this performance of a selection of new pieces. The evening was narrated with wit by Jack Pallister who effortlessly guided us through the pieces, showcasing an eclectic collection of music by Clive Richard Davis.
The show opens with the song ‘Riddle You, Riddle Me’; a company number setting the scene for Davis’ upcoming production ‘The Three Riddles’, and I must say this was perfectly executed by the leads. With great harmonies, a catchy tune and all of the performers were animated. We were then introduced to different characters and partnerships within this company of handpicked performers.
Rob Houchen and Wendy Carr had great chemistry together, two gorgeous voices playing love’s young dream with great romantic story lines, opposite Henryk Firth and Shannon Rewcroft who were also perfectly matched as their voices gorgeously intertwined. There was also two standout performances from West End and Broadway royalty Kerry Ellis, ‘New Hat’ being one of them. Ellis gave us more than a taste of what she can do with her soaring voice and it definitely left us wanting more. Jordan Langford’s direction was specific and nuanced, allowing the actors space and freedom to create choices within the complex stories that Davis has created and really allowed the material to shine in a classy and elegant way.
The company worked very well together, jumping in and out of roles and Davis showed us that it was still a work in progress, when he added the last minute song ‘When Will I Know When?’. This was one of my favourite ballads of the evening, Rob Houchen crooned us all with his jazzy vocals. ‘Rio’ performed by Shannon Rewcroft and Jack Pallister was a highlight for me, it created an unparalleled atmosphere in the auditorium and lifted the energy, which intrigued and enthralled the audience as they burst in to rapturous applause. The pair were connected and worked well together. Rewcroft made many a hilarious cameo during the show, showing her versatility as a performer and showing she’s no ‘one trick pony’. I think the piece as a whole could have benefitted from adding a few more up-tempo numbers to keep up the momentum, replacing a few too many ballads that are slightly lost in my memory.
Lastly, a shout out must go to the band led by musical director Jack Bennett, the glue holding it all together. I truly enjoyed watching the band’s work, shining together on stage, led with control and poise by Bennett. Davis writes an intriguing melody although occasionally lyrics tend to over spill, overwhelming the audience. It seems the melodies soar while the lyrics are left behind; I think the future for Davis would be to focus on the melody and to trim some of the material down to sharpen the pieces and keep us wanting more.
Overall it was a well rounded evening with a fantastic company performing some great new material; I look forward to seeing how the piece develops as I’m sure it’s not the last we will see of Davis or this revue.
We give this production a star rating of ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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