After his triumphant work on Chicago at the Leicester Curve last year, Drew McOnie continues to cement his position as one of our most exciting choreographers with this sizzling review that blends together a heady cocktail of cracking contemporary dance and a witty score by Grant Olding (One Man, Two Guvnors).
Drunk is the inaugural production by the McOnie Company, which has brought together the considerable talents of eight performers who have to their names a string of musical theatre successes and classical work with the likes of Matthew Bourne.
The idea here is to represent in song and dance the personalities of various alcoholic drinks — or rather the effects that various alcoholic drinks say about our personalities.
It’s poignant, sexy and often very very funny.
Katy Lowenhoff fizzes and pops as Champagne; Lucinda Lawrence introduces a note of melancholy as Vodka — a diva recalling past glory, and Ashley Andrews and Fela Lufadeju as Scotch and Rum achingly express the love between two GIs.
And it’s all held together by Gemma Sutton as Ice, an absolute firecracker of a triple threat who performs Olding’s songs with passion, tenderness and humour.
It’s brilliantly danced of course, as you’d expect from performers with these CVs, and the glorious thing about Drunk is that it never takes its self too seriously.
It’s about as much fun as you can have and still stay sober.
Reviewed by Tony Peters
Drunk plays at the Bridewell Theatre until 1 March 2014
Directed & choreographed by Drew McOnie
Music & lyrics by Grant Olding
Musical director Tom Kelly
Cast
Scotch Ashley Andrews
Martini Daniel Collins
Cider Simon Hardwick
Absinthe AnabelKutay
Vodka Lucinda Lawrence
Champagne Katy Lowenhoff
Rum Fela Lufadeju
Ice Gemma Sutton