Cher Show is music to our ears
THE CHER SHOW KING’S THEATRE,
GLASGOW, 20.09.22 THERE’S only one thing better than Cher and that’s … three Chers.
The Cher Show charts the life of the star from her early teenage years to the phenomenon she was to become.
This telling of her tale uses three of her very distinct personas to bring it to life. The three – Babe played by Millie O’Connell, Lady by Danielle Steers and Star by Debbie Kurup – take you throught the different key phases of her life, from her Sonny and Cher days to her Hollywood incarnation and then to her reinvention as a pop smash with hits like Believe and If I Could Turn Back Time.
And while a different actress plays Cher at different stages of her life, very often the other two are on stage with her almost as narrators/her conscience to help the plot move along. It is a novel idea which could have been clumsy and awkward but is actually extremely effective.
All three actresses bring something special to their roles, with each demonstrating the comedy elements of her character which makes Cher so endearing and at the same time shows the sadness and pain behind Cher the performer.
There is little to choose between them, all three have truly wondrous voices, can act and dance – perfect for the roles of such an icon. But for me Millie O’Connell’s kookiness just shades it.
O’Connell has already proved her worth as Anne Boleyn in the smash musical Six but her performance here is at a new level. This girl is, quite simply, an outstanding talent. There couldn’t be a show about Cher without an amazing array of costumes and Gabriella Slade’s wardrobe definitely ups the Sex Factor.
From the skimpy leather-look attire of the ensemble to the truly magnificent creations for Star, Slade nails it.
While the set is designed to look like a backstage dressing room the clever lighting transports it from a childhood home to a concert and then an Oscar ceremony using a great mix of techniques.
Arlene Phillips takes the reins as director and fellow Strictly graduate Oti Mabuse choreographs the piece, and with two dance experts in the house it is little wonder the routines are sharp and creative.
But the real star of the show is Cher’s incredible back catalogue. From I Got You Babe onwards the hits get the feet tapping and your body bursting to get up and throw a few shapes of your own.
As jukebox musicals go you will struggle to find a better one. This time round it doesn’t feel like the songs are shoehorned in to fit the story, instead they have a life of their own and bring the very soul of Cher to the stage.
This is the show’s first UK venture outside of London and is the perfect recipe for beating the cost of living blues.
The show runs in Glasgow until tomorrow before moving to Aberdeen and then on to Edinburgh.