Swinging along to the 60s

cast of Freamboats and miniskirts

Dreamboats and Miniskirts

Belgrade Coventry

****

SLICK back that hair, sharpen those winklepickers and head on down to the Belgrade for this wonderful show.

Dreamboats and Miniskirts is Bill Kenwright and Keith Strachan’s sequel to Dreamboats and Petticoats with many of the same cast members reprising their roles. It’s a dream – particularly if you love 60s’ music.

It’s 1962 and the main pairing of Laura (Elizabeth Carter) and Bobby (Alex Beaumont) have tasted hit success but St Mungo’s youth club have also produced The Conquests, also aching for chart success.

Norman (Ross William Wild) and Sue (Louise Olley) are married and settled with a baby on the way, but Norman is fairly easily persuaded to rejoin the band on the road. Ray (David Luke) is making his name as a West End as well as manager for the Conquests and Donna (Anna Campkin) raising hell because he is away such a lot.

Ray gets a gig that takes the band from Hornchurch Essex to Liverpool – the Cavern Club to be exact - where they are injected by the Mersey Beat gramophone needle (the Beatles set is brilliant ) - and never look back.

Laura and Bobby split up as her success as a rising star is assured while his is in the descent after the band discover he has left Laura off the writing credits of their first recording.

This is a lively, energetic show with a young and fresh cast and I have to say the audience danced in and danced out – it was really well received. It is all performed live and the songs sum up the era beautifully. For example Tony Lister (Alan Howell), their A & R man, performs a wonderful House of the Rising Sun that the band turn down as a potential flop… I would have bought it!

Just as a footnote, during this most exciting time in musical and world history Frank Ifield (from Coventry) was No. 1 for nearly three months, keeping the Beatles at bay with his yodelling!

This is a great show, and a fitting sequel to the excitement of Dreamboats and Petticoats. I particularly loved the scenes with Norman and Sue; they are a treat individually and together the perfect blend. What next Mr Kenwright? Have you any more up your sleeve? To 15-11-14

Jane Howard

10-11-14 

 

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