Touring – reviewed at New Wimbledon Theatre
Guest reviewer: Charlotte Baker
If there was ever a cure for the blues The Cher Show would be it. I left feeling on cloud nine after an evening spent watching this sequinned spectacular which tells the story of how shy girl Cherilyn Sarkisian becomes the ultimate diva and a true female icon.
My usual theatre buddy couldn’t come with me as she was ill, so I bought along my 14 year old daughter. I was slightly apprehensive that she would find it dull as the only Cher she had heard of was the one from teenage cult classic Clueless. But there was no need to worry as I looked across at her beaming face lit up by the disco ball that Wimbledon theatre had become.
The show is a chronicle of Chers career. There are three Chers, Debbie Kurup who plays Star, Danielle Steers as Lady and Millie O’Connell who is Babe. Each actor represents Cher at different points of her life, and what I really liked was how the three would talk and interact with each other, offering advice to the younger self or being self critical. In some ways it made you think about how your opinions and priorities change over the years and gave depth to what could have been just a lighthearted show about fabulous costumes and catchy tunes.
Speaking of costumes… wow! The costume designer Gabriella Slade must have had so much fun with these creations. They were breath-taking and would almost steal the show if it wasn’t for the incredible lead actors. Our three Chers really did blow everyone away with their incredible performances. It’s hard to pick a favourite as they all bring a different element to the show.
The production is very slick, although there was a technical issue at the end of act one which meant the final scene had to start again and there was a longer interval. This was handled really well by the production team and cast and the audience all helped cheering along as the divas took to the stage..
The second act did have a bit of a dip half way through and fell a bit flat, but in a way that kind of went with the story of Cher’s life. This was then followed by what was a truly incredible fabulous finale which had us all up in a seats dancing and singing along. This was Cher’s comeback!
This show is truly a must see and will unleash your inner Diva. In fact if I could turn back time … I could see it again and again.
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