“well-structured variety of songs, brilliant performances, plenty of laughter and moments of impacting emotion”
This is indeed a luxurious evening of festive favourites (and more) at The Other Palace. Complete with a glittering tree, log fire and cosy lighting, the golden, glowing atmosphere makes one feel as if The Barricade Boys are performing their Christmas Cabaret in one’s own sitting room. Four remarkable voices (Scott Garnham, Simon Schofield, Kieran Brown and Craig Mather) blend together and complement each other, singing a selection of Christmas tunes as well as a choice of pop, rock and show songs. The intimate setting of The Studio allows informal interaction with the audience between numbers, but the professional attention to detail is never lost and they sing with flair, accuracy and emotion.
The vocal balance, the intonation in complex harmonies and the slick presentation are of such a high standard that the easiness is deceptive, even in the organised chaos of their special version of ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’. Precision can be unforgiving in small venues but The Barricade Boys sing with impeccable ensemble. With the appearance of a different guest artist every evening (last night being the talented Michael Xavier) they journey from the energy of ‘Johnny Be Good’ to the foot-tapping of ‘Let It Snow’, through to ‘I Dreamed A Dream’.
There are many beautiful and clever arrangements by Musical Supervisor, James Doughty, balancing the singing lines and allowing each to shine. Noam Galperin – Musical Director – sits discreetly at the piano, accompanying the whole evening in a marathon of a programme. The members of the group are linked by their involvement in Les Miserables which, presumably, is where their name came from; the Barricade Boys were a fictional group of revolutionary students who appear in the story. All four actors have prolific careers on stage, television and film, and the years of experience is manifest in their relaxed, yet composed, demeanor and their versatility. This Christmas show was a wonderful addition, by established actors, to The Other Palace’s Development Programme, set up to discover, explore and create the musical theatre genre.
It is an evening of thorough enjoyment for the audience and seemingly also for the group, with the slight risk of occasional ‘in’ moments. However, ‘Bring Him Home’ cast a magical spell over the audience and it is hard not to join in the ‘Party Medley’, which puts it all into perspective. This is a Christmas Cabaret of well-structured variety of songs, brilliant performances, plenty of laughter and moments of impacting emotion – an intoxicating way to get into the Christmas spirit.
“Salvi is undoubtedly a charismatic performer but her soprano doesn’t quite captivate”
Set in an imaginary mental asylum, “Mad Women In My Attic” is a collection of tunes from the likes of Stephen Sondheim, Kurt Weill, Kander & Ebb, Maury Yeston, Jacques Brel; among others. It is indeed an impressive set list; ambitious and brave, two adjectives which also describe Monica Salvi, the London-based Italian singer who has put together this semi-autobiographical cabaret show.
The concept of the piece is revealed to the audience from the outset. After often being typecast in roles of crazy women, Salvi was inspired to develop a cabaret to celebrate all of the mad songs and characters she had in her repertoire. That is the starting point, from which she leads us into a fictionalised account of her alter ego; a woman who has exchanged the stage for padded walls, glamorous costumes for a white nightgown, and audiences for a bunch of inmates.
The show gets off to a promising start as she emerges seductively from beneath a grand piano. Seated at the piano, in white coat, is her “psychiatrist”; musical director Michael Ferreri. Insanely talented on the keys his role is understated, but his musical accompaniment often threatens to be the star of the show. I found my attention often drawn to the piano instead of the singer. Salvi is undoubtedly a charismatic performer but her soprano doesn’t quite captivate. She tries just a little too hard and there is a neurotic energy about her that betrays a chink in her confidence.
The running joke that we, the audience, are her fellow inmates runs thin and becomes tiresome especially during a couple of clunky moments of audience participation. But one has to admire her energy, and it is a terrific romp through some classic show tunes, highlights of which included ‘With One Look’ from “Sunset Boulevard” and her stand out rendition of Jacques Brel’s ‘La Valse à Mille Temps’.
Laced with dark humour (a timely night’s entertainment for Halloween), this show professes to be a celebration of the fine line between creativity and madness. On that level it fails, but it does succeed in celebrating some of the great composers and lyricists of our time. By the end of the evening the audience were clearly keen for her to return to the stage for an encore. Bizarrely though she greeted this warm reception with a cool refusal of a curtain call.
