Tag Archives: David Bowie

THE BOWIE SHOW

★★★★

UK Tour

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THE BOWIE SHOW

Golder’s Green Hippodrome

★★★★

“Innovative, brave, inventive, theatrical, yet authentic”

When Brett Morgen’s documentary film, “Moonage Daydream”, burst onto the silver screen back in 2022, it was heralded as being ‘groundbreaking’, and a ‘glorious celebratory montage’. A ‘sensory voyage’. During the opening moments of Simon Gwilliam’s “The Bowie Show” we feel we could have wandered into the live, stage version of the film. Immediately our senses our flooded. The cinematic drama unfolds, alien and shapeshifting yet instantly recognisable and emotionally charged. Countdown has commenced, and from the moment Sian Crowe’s husky vocals launch ‘Space Oddity’ into the atmosphere, we get a hint of what we are in for.

Tribute is not the same as impersonation, and Gwilliam has held onto this concept. ‘People don’t want a recital; they want a show’ as Bowie himself has said. This is ‘the freakiest show’ – authentic, imperfect, and steeped in kooky originality. Interestingly the publicity blurb repeatedly emphasises that the show is not authorised or endorsed by the Estate of David Bowie. No doubt a legal caveat. This company have stretched to breaking point the limits to what they can get away with. But pushing boundaries is what it’s all about.

With the exception of the show’s finale, the set list is pretty much rooted in the seventies and first half of the eighties; Bowie’s most prolific and influential years. The on-stage five-piece band deliver chillingly accurate versions of the music for many of the numbers, while others are wonderfully reimagined and reorchestrated. As the smooth mellotron strings fade from ‘Space Oddity’ we drift into a prog-rock, psychedelic ‘Oh, You Pretty Things’. We move swiftly into ‘Changes’, then a searing ‘Ziggy Stardust’ during which the dancers each wear era-defining costumes worthy of the V & A archives. Elsewhere, Rebecca Martin’s costume design (with Cathy Kelly and Erin Holden) emulates and exaggerates the pivotal moments of Bowie’s own sartorial journey with a playfulness and quirky inventiveness. The attention to detail, often missed if you blink, runs deep. References, some explicit and some ingeniously subtle, are also lurking at every turn in Sophie Quay’s brilliantly eclectic choreography, Billy Gwilliam’s panoramic, juddering, kaleidoscopic, cosmic, urban, brutal, swooping video design, and the overall collective styling of the show. An outstanding example is the grotesque, pirouetting doll during ‘Rebel Rebel’ accompanied by a projected backdrop of cracked mannequins joining in the chorus.

A troupe of eight dancers (including Quay) do justice to the choreography and costume. Beautifully synchronised, and each given a solo moment. ‘Jean Genie’ shows off the angular dexterity of Jordan Boury, a standout dancer whose movements are as precise as the backbeat, yet as eccentric as the experimental chord changes Bowie’s music sometimes follow. It is going to be impossible to mention every dancer, and every musical number. ‘Starman’, with its clever nod to ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’ neatly segues into ‘Moonage Daydream’, during which Laura Browne’s guitar is uncannily reminiscent of the late, great Mick Ronson. ‘Life on Mars’ opens with a toy piano riff before its soaring crescendo. Each song encapsulates the moment, not by imitation but by illustration. The singers only occasionally sound like Bowie. They certainly don’t look like him. Sian Crowe, Elliot Rose and Greg Oliver are sometimes a bit lost in the mix but when they cut through, they mix their own character in with the iconic Bowie-esque timbre. Crowe passionately claims ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide’ for her own.

‘The Bowie Show’ is undoubtedly a concert, which leads to a few awkward silences between the music. These are occasionally filled with voiceover, soundscape or visuals. When the spoken lyrics from ‘We Are the Dead’ bleed into ‘Ashes to Ashes’ we realise we want more of this. But once fully immersed in the music again, we forgive and forget. The hits of the eighties are rolled out, from ‘Scary Monsters’ to ‘Let’s Dance’, until we skip two or three decades.

The closing moments drift from homage to eulogy. ‘Blackstar’, Bowie’s cryptic farewell message to the world, is beautifully performed, followed by an aching and dark ‘Lazarus’. Of course, ‘Heroes’ serves as an encore (ah, wondered when that one was coming). It has been quite a journey. An impossible journey given that Bowie’s output could never be condensed into a mere two hours. But “The Bowie Show” has curated a well-balanced cross section. The integration of music and visuals is quite meticulous. The show may not have been endorsed by the Estate – but it could be. And should be. With the artistic curbs lifted this show could be boundless. But already it is a vibrant spectacle. Innovative, brave, inventive, theatrical, yet authentic. It’s the freakiest show, yes, but a triumph of ‘Sound and Vision’.

 



THE BOWIE SHOW

UK Tour

Reviewed on 14th January 2025

by Jonathan Evans

 


 

 

 

 

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THE BOWIE SHOW

THE BOWIE SHOW

THE BOWIE SHOW

 

 

From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads – 3 Stars

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Ibiza

From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads

Jacksons Lane

Reviewed – 7th March 2018

★★★

“Walton captivates the audience throughout in an energetic and versatile performance”

 

The title of this play, which has been doing the rounds for a couple of years now, lifted from the lyrics of David Bowie’s ‘Life On Mars’ is inevitably going to attract the attention of his fans. Incorporating the spectre of such a revered musical icon is quite a risk. Writer Adrian Berry does well, then, to pull the focus away from Bowie and concentrate on the effect he has on a young man. However, you can’t get away from the fact that the majority of the audience would have been drawn to this show by the association.

“From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads” is the story of Martin, a troubled teenager on the cusp of his eighteenth birthday. He lives with his alcoholic mother, his father having walked out on them sixteen years earlier. Suffering from pretty much every emotional disorder in the textbook, his obsession with the music of David Bowie is matched by his longing to see his father again. For his birthday his mother gives him an envelope from his father, which she has held for him since he was a baby. Inside is a map and a set of instructions written by his father that propel him onto a life-changing journey.

It is Alex Walton’s performance that defines this play. Walton captivates the audience throughout in an energetic and versatile performance, sometimes slipping effortlessly into the characters he meets on his journey. As Martin, he doesn’t sidestep the issues of personality disorder and alienation but uses them to flesh out his character in a totally endearing fashion, making fun of society’s “lazy” interpretations of mental illness. Walton’s skills as a raconteur do away with any need for a set. The picture he paints with words alone is as visible to the audience as any big budget backdrop.

Adrian Berry’s writing is sharp, and reminiscent of an early Conor McPherson, in particular ‘Rum and Vodka’. Berry shares his attention to detail and we are accordingly drawn into the story. Part of the fun of the piece, too, is spotting the song titles and lyrics cleverly woven into the text, sometimes almost imperceptibly. And references to Philip Larkin and even more hidden pointers to ‘The Elephant Man’ or Alan Yentob, for example, show that Berry knows his stuff.

The decision to include the voice of Rob Newman is unnecessary. Yes, Newman gives a fair impersonation of David Bowie, but these intermittent voiceovers do little to enhance the narrative and provide little insight. One could also extend this argument to question the ‘Bowie’ focus entirely. This is not a criticism; the piece could easily stand up on its own as a touching portrait of a young man’s journey to find his father, his fraught relationships with his mother and his dealings with a sometimes hostile society. Moments of comedy segue into moments of trauma. The final scene, despite being somewhat unresolved, is tender and affecting and Walton’s performance tugs at the heart. That’s when you realise that the character’s obsession with Bowie is a mere subplot.

The show is in danger of being a victim of its selling point. Those who go to see this as a homage to David Bowie will be disappointed, but if you’re after a compelling and intense portrait of a ‘kooky’ teenager then this is the show for you.

 

Reviewed by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Ben Hopper

 


From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads

Jacksons Lane until 10th March

 

 

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