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The greatest show and other bromances: Adam Riches and John Kearns ARE Ball and Boe @sohotheatre

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Alfie Boe and Michael Ball seem to be a bit of a joke act anyway. Their endless interpretations of popular songs (also known as covers) and their double-act bromance make them quintessential crossover artists where popular music meets opera and Broadway. And a perilous choice for the discerning listener. It’s not that they aren’t talented musicians and performers in their own right. Still, their musical choices are always safe, predictable and less than their potential. But every country deserves to have a pair of self-described national treasures that can tour the local arenas and give people a good time for the bargain price of £175 a seat.  And so the concept of Adam Riches and John Kearns - two world-famous from the Edinburgh Fringe comedians taking on this bromance seems like a curious choice for a Christmas musical fare. One can only hope that over the fourteen nights, it is playing at the Soho Theatre that the show evolves into something more substantial than a series of po...

Cinders and beer: Cinderella: A Wicked Mother of a Night Out #PubCinderella

“Aren’t you worried you’re going to get picked on by the cast since you’re here on your own?” Asked a lady at the bar before catching Not Too Tame’s Cinderella: A Wicked Mother of a Night Out! No fear I thought... It’s all part of my quest to continue to seek out strange and unusual theatre. I wasn’t disappointed.

This is a site specific production set in a pub near you for the Christmas holidays. It’s unique and worth checking out for people looking for something different to do this Christmas.

Just like Hot Gay Time Machine at Trafalgar Studios, it’s best to go in a group. And don’t look too unique, fabulous or like a hipster as the cast are likely to single you out.

Written by Luke Barnes, the show combines karaoke standards with some panto traditions and beer. The end result is a pretty funny and original interpretation of the Cinderella story.

Cinderalla’s dad has died and she’s left working in his pub with her stepmother and two step sisters. A geezer called Prince comes by looking for the girl who took his grandmother’s slippers.

Along the way there’s a man in a dirty dog suit who barks “SEX!”, a bloke in dress and lot of karaoke.

What it lacks in production values it makes up with enthusiasm, originality and humour. And for those interested in that sort of thing, the karaoke continues after the show.

Production Company Not Too Tame aim to create works that target first time theatre goers. But they’ve also come up with a winning formula here for pop-up theatre.

Directed by Jimmy Fairhurst, Cinderella: A Wicked Mother of a Night Out! continues at Yates Reading on 16 December and the Welcome Inn, Ordsall on 18-22 December.

⭐️⭐️⭐️


Photos by Chris Webb

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