A Guilty Pleasure…..
Being of a certain age, Club Tropicana is everything you expect a Musical of the 80’s to be, It is big, bold and boisterous and so over the top it could compared to Alexis Carrington-Colby’s Shoulder Pads.
The show centres on the antics and capers of both guests and staff alike, at the Club Tropicana Hotel. The musical follows a bride and groom who, when “she” gets cold feet, jets off to sunny Spain, where the drinks are free and romance is in the air. But little does she know she has checked into the same hotel as her jilted fiancée…
Headlining is X-Factor’s Joe McElderry as over the top and camp holiday Rep Garry, Joe cheekily smiled his way through the show and proved he can act as well as sing.
Amelle Berrabah better known perhaps as one-third of the girl group the “SugarBabes” plays hotel receptionist Serena. I could have listened to that fab voice of hers for a much greater part of the evening.
Stealing the show however is actress Kate Robbins as the Spanish maid Consuela, whose impersonations are hysterical and I can truly say Kate deserves a show of her own, She nearly brought the house down with her version of Crystal Gayle’s “Don’t it make my Brown Eyes Blue”, not to mention her Nora Batty stockings.
All of the cast deliver brilliantly, each in their own way with comedy, romance, and cheesy moments a plenty.
The script could have been transcribed from an old Carry-On film, where, camp toilet humour is considered funny, non offensive and non Sexist, However in this day and age I doubt whether many of the audience would find it as socially acceptable in 2019 as opposed to “ less politically correct times”. I for one sometimes yearn for those less complicated days.
Producer Mark Goucher writes, “We are not trying to win any prizes but to give you a good night out” and this is exactly what the show delivers. Cyndi Lauper and her 80’s co pop phenomenons would be most thrilled with this show.
So if your still “Making Your Mind Up” and “Just Wanna Have Fun”, head over to Woking, “Relax” and I guarantee that “You Just Can’t Get Enough” of this show.
Reviewed by Neil Mcfarlane
_____________________________________________________________
FOLLOW WEST END WILMA