Picture: Danny Kaan
Side Show In Concert at the London Palladium.
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
Lambert Jackson Productions, who last year gave us the UK premiere of Doctor Zhivago, treated us to a concert of Side Show, the second appearance on the London stage of a legendary two-time Broadway flop, which didn’t quite manage to make it on the Great White Way, even in a revised version directed by Bill Condon in 2014. The latter had its English premiere at the Southwark Playhouse in 2016 – starring the great Louise Dearman as Daisy who reprised her performance in this concert.
Loosely based on real events, Side Show tells the story of the English-born Hilton sisters, who achieved fame in the entertainment industry early last century as a pair of conjoined twins. Their challenging journey in a society bound to sensationalise their condition is an unlikely subject for a musical, but the career they had in real side shows in the UK and throughout Europe lends itself to some exciting vaudeville numbers along with some great drama. The score by composer Henry Krieger (Dreamgirls) and lyricist/librettist Bill Russell (Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens) is versatile and rich. The writers were so prolific that Condon was even able to use a dozen alternative songs for the revival in 2013 in La Jolla, California, and greatly overhaul the book, thereby getting closer to the real story of the Hilton twins.
Still, despite its successful run in Washington DC, good reviews, and some Tony nominations, it performed even more poorly than the original, closing after just seven weeks. But it remains a fantastic work by Russell, Krieger and Condon. The score requires true vocal prowess, which was fully on display during a singular evening of powerhouse talent at the Palladium.
Dearman and Rachel Tucker more than delivered, with touching, layered portrayals of Daisy and Violet (Violet being the other Hilton sister). Tucker’s soprano was so expansive in range that it felt like a forbidden decadence to hear her dulcet tones mix with the strength and warmth of Dearman’s middle range. Krieger’s score requires great dexterity from whoever plays the twins, as there are constant intertwining lines of harmony. It is rare to have such tremendous vocalists as Dearman and Tucker together, making the music seem effortless.
Bradley Jaden’s ‘The Devil You Know’ did as it was meant to do: bring down the house, no easy feat considering the stamina it takes to sing with the amount of fervour required without losing the song’s necessary colour.
Aidan Cross, from the Trinity Laban Conservatoire Ensemble, really stood out in the role of Sir as well. Albeit a smaller part, Cross’ voice held its own amongst a cast of West End titans and his stage presence crackled from the moment he appeared right at the beginning of the evening. He proved the age-old saying that there are no small parts, opening the show as any great ringer would, with enough flare and pizzazz to immediately pull the audience in.
Sadly, despite the talent on stage, the greatness of the material directed efficiently by Emma Butler, and the fantastic 14-piece orchestra conducted by Adam Hoskins, this concert, as opposed to recent ones in London, really lacked choreography, although Tosh Wanogho-Maud managed to show off some real ability as Buddy. And some period costumes would have helped us get more into the mood of this oddball, yet fascinating, piece.
Patrick Honoré
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