Lipstick On Your Collar
Saturday 31st August
Theatre Severn
Take a tight five piece band a female vocalist and a whole lot of fifties and sixties songs, intertwine these with filmed montage of events and people of the eras, and you have yourself a show.. It was really nicely done and there was so much in this show there is something for everyone.
With sounds from Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, The Beatles, Beach Boys and of course many others not forgetting Connie Francis' eponymous hit, “ Lipstick On Your Collar.”
With enough instruments between the five guys to supply a small orchestra, it soon became very clear that these guys were true and proper musicians. Their cover versions were every bit as good as the originals and one was amazed at just how many instruments they could play. From Drums, to Keys, to Piano, to Snares, to Rub board, and on it went stunning performance of musicianship. One was happy to hear these guys play so well. There seemed a spark of real friendship and respect amongst the cast and that came through into the show and spread a certain amount of joy amongst the utterly packed house.
The female vocalist was good, she knew song after song , after song. , and she sang them well. One might suggest that she can come down sometimes and play with emotions. She came at us all the way at 11, and that left her with nowhere to go and one wanted her occasionally to quieten down a little on the mic and add some shades. One suspects Nikki, (The vocalist) had had classical training her voice was good but one thought she was too ready to slip into an operatic voice to get the note. On the whole she was a great singer but needed to just watch her diction. Lyrics were lost especially at the end of the line where she has a tendency to lazily let the last word fade away unsaid, and that is a lazy device and the song's meaning can be lost. Shirley Bassey was great, it was a very difficult song she sang, “I love you,” and really did a spectacular job of that one.
One has already alluded to the incredible musicianship of the band but one hasn’t mentioned everyone of them could sing and sing well. These guys are the nearest and most authentic sound one might ever find in a covers show. The audience that really was massive, loved them and dancing broke out in the second half. The big hit that motivated the dancers was, “Let’s Twist again,” they loved it and the party atmosphere was raised.
One found both lighting and sound utterly perfect with sadly just one mic cue missed, that was obvious, but this was fixed almost immediately. The crew worked as hard as the cast, and together they make a great team with a hot show.
The audience loved these guys and when they suggested they may be back the crowd, as they say, went wild. They are a popular show with a popular sound, if your spirits are ever dipping get yourself the see the Boys and Girls of Lipstick on your Collar. God fun.
This is a Four-Star Review
Sofia Lewis
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Sofia is a successful playwright living in Shrewsbury. After graduating from Wolverhampton University in theatre. Sofia went on to become an actor and film maker. Her first play was published in 2015 and her plays have been seen all around the world. She is also the instigator of the popular concerts, The Sound Of Shrewsbury Folk. She has been writing with loveshrewsbury for 13 years and loves Theatre Severn and all she sees there.
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