Tori With An “I” at Crazy Coqs, London.
Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Tori Scott blazes onstage, her personality lighting up the room, a cross between Bette Midler and a young Ethel Merman. The voice rings out, belting in a healthy chest sound, the top notes never shouted, and the emotion true.
Scott is an artist new to this writer, and was a revelation. Too often chat between songs becomes a mere life narrative, but with Scott it’s a narrative told through her perceptions of Britain, prompted by her decision to up her bags and move here.
The humour is delightful, whether puzzling over the various meanings of the word ‘tea’, the joy of theatrical digs and negotiating her way around Britain performing in the UK tour of The Cher Show (she is currently playing Cher’s mother), or the relief at not having to pay to see a doctor thanks to the NHS. And that’s before we get to explaining that she’s Tori with an “I” and not a Tory. And her internet dating and British men! Without the songs she is a great stand-up comedienne.
And then there are the songs. Opening with ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ and ‘The Bitch is Back’, we get an eclectic selection of Lady Gaga’s ‘Bad Romance’, Garland in her duet with guest Christina Bianco (‘Get Happy’) and Dusty Springfield’s ‘Wishin’ and Hopin’’.
The songs are dovetailed into the chat perfectly. A Spanish diversion gives us ‘La Isla Bonita’ and ‘Conga’, and a serious moment of contemplation about the planet gives us a beautifully poised rendition of Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’. If I can be allowed one tiny carp, it would be to wish that she had included at least one more ballad.
Scott’s energy never flags and she has a great rapport with her pianist and musical director Ben Papworth. This is the epitome of what cabaret should be about. She bares her soul enough to never be maudlin, but we feel we’ve got to know her.
Wending her way to the end, a standing ovation gave us B*witched’s ‘C’est La Vie’ as an encore.
I look forward to seeing Scott again in whatever she might do. And I’m mighty glad she uprooted herself to head to Britain. I’d give her six stars if I could.
Leon Ferguson
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