“Roll on up, see the main attraction, get your money ready, let’s take a ride.” (All The Fun Of The Fair)
Theatres are full of shows made up of songs from stars’ back catalogues – think Our House (Madness), We Will Rock You (Queen), Mamma Mia! (Abba) and even Can’t Smile Without You (Barry Manilow). What you often find, however, is that the familiar songs are shoehorned into the story with little relevance and little excuse other than getting in as many of the hits as possible.
But anyone familiar with the songs of David Essex (and I should declare an interest as a lifelong fan) will know that many of them tell their own story, painting vivid pictures of the likes of lost love (A Winter’s Tale), celebrity culture (Gonna Make You A Star) and fairground life (All The Fun Of The Fair).
And it is All The Fun Of The Fair that provides the setting and the title for this new musical. David’s hits and lesser known tracks fit effortlessly into the story – or maybe the story fits effortlessly around them, since they came first.
The backdrop is Levi’s funfair, a travelling fair which has seen better days and better fortune. David plays the eponymous widower Levi Lee, whose son Jack (Paul-Ryan Carberry shining in his first professional role) longs for change and finds it when Alice (Tanya Robb) catches his eye across the dodgems. But Jack is involved with Mary (Emma Thornett), whose mother Rosa (Louise English) has her eye – and so-called second sight – on Levi.
The tangled web also draws in Alice’s thuggish father Harvey (David Burrows) and his sinister associate Druid (Barry Bloxham), as well as the sweet-natured Jonny (Stefan Butler) who longs to be accepted, and the scene is set for a rollercoaster ride of emotions into a world where you suspect Rosa’s melancholy predictions will prove to be true.
The plot, rather than being the flimsy construct one might have feared, more than stood up on its own and the set itself was impressive, with dodgems, carousel horses and a motorcycle “wall of death” bringing the audience right to the heart of the action.
I’ve heard stronger vocal performances in other musicals but the cast really brought their characters to life with faultless acting – every flash of the eye, quiver in the voice or almost imperceptible shake of the head, for example, was perfectly timed and executed. You believed completely in the characters and were rooting for them to escape their destinies and live happily after ever.
Highlights included Jack and Alice’s version of If I Could and Jack, Jonny and Levi risking life and limb to Silver Dream Machine, while David was not afraid to mock himself with a well-received reference to how he “used to have long black curly hair”.
This is the rare “back catalogue musical” that can be enjoyed on its own merits by anyone, not just those familiar with the songs within it. I suspect that as the run goes on – this is only the third venue in a tour which lasts until May 2009 – the cast will continue to refine the show and delight long-time David Essex fans and new converts alike.
You have a very vivid imagination, i wasted almost £60 on that show which was at best amature, poor dialogue terrible singing the main singer paul carberry had the voice of a weakling, david burrows was dire he just shouted his way through the performance, the acting was shamefull mr essex as always does just enough without trying to hard & the set pityfull the dodgems made me laugh that’s more than the tired old jokes did i saw gary numan do the same thing in the early eighties in a lttle electric car, & the silver dream machine seqence made me squirm with embarrasment sitting on those silly little bikes with a torch for a headlight leaning from one side to the other pathetic i have been taking my wife to see Mr essex for many years now & i have never understood how good looks equal talent & wooden performences become brilliant & entertaining . at least Sir cliffe trys to do a bit of dancing, i said to my wife when we got outside doesn’t it make you angry that he can make money by putting on such a poor show knowing that his poor deluded fans wil think it’s good
I also saw Aspects of Love i went to that show expecting it to be a load of rubbish r but was taken aback by how good the show was the sets were brilliant & the singing & acting faultless. but that show was on another level.
Hi Maurice
I appreciate you leaving a comment here and I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy the show. I think we will have to agree to disagree! I’m not always easy to please – I was disappointed in The Witches of Eastwick the following week, for example – but I thought All The Fun Of The Fair was very well done. I admit I may be biased as I have been going to see David Essex since I was a child with my mum, but I was gripped by the story and the performances.
I hope you have a better experience on your next trip to the theatre and thank you again for commenting here!
Let’s face it, you either love him or hate him. I have been taking the wife to see him since 1974 and he has given great performances all the time in our view. He delivers what his fans want and he slips in new songs as well, I see no problem in that.
Saw him this year at Brighton on tour and went again for the musical. T’was a good night’s entertainment. The Wife is seeing him again in two weeks time in Manchester and is again looking forward to that.
He seems to always have time for his fans which is rare these days and he seems to appreciate the loyal support that he has. I’ve asked and received autographs twice now after performances and once he posed with the Wife whilst out in Bahrain for a photograph.
i went to see the show with friends at the clifffs pavilllion southend what a brilliant show we thought david and the rest of the cast was fantastic they actually made you feel as though you was really there i have grown up listening to david essex and thought it was really good the way his songs fitted into the musical we have already booked again to see the very last show in bristol good luck with the tour keep up the good work!
Like Maurice i paid out the best part of £100 to take my wife to this show and had read his comments before we went. you are right that David Essex is a bit of a love hate figure. I have seen a number of his concerts in recent years and while my wife thought they were excellent i was always somewhat frustrated on his llaziness, His shows are generally the same, same songs, same production, with the odd new song thrown in to boost record sales. The women in the audiance stiil see him as the twenty year old with long black curly hair and swoon, the men see him as an aging balding grey haired man and look baffled by the attraction. So what about the show.. Well i think Maurice has a point. To a certain extent you got what you expected. For some years david’s voice has been dying and it makes sense to use others to sing the high notes rather than the backing track he uses in his concerts. I felt the show however was very thin. The story could have been told in five minutes and the songs hardly fit in seamlessly. At one point two men walk on with a door with ROXY’S on the front..cue nightclubbing tjhen they carry it off…Why? The acting was at best poor, there were prolonged silences when people seem to forget there lines. The continuity is also poor, the story is set in 1974..to fit in with the songs but references throughout the show were out of step. Actors spent one scene discussing a star wars film that wasn’t released for another five years and apparantly the Sex Pistols were all the rage a year before the band was formed, The second half opened with the hero getting off a steam train in Doncaster, long after the line went diesel. mant off the audience at the sides missed scenes because the speakershad been stacked in front of the stage or they were blasted by the smoke machines. At the end the front few rows of die hards stood up and cheere while the rest sat on therir hands or as at the end of each scene responded with polite applause. Methinks the essex to come out of the show with most credit is david’s son who refused to take part as it could damage his career , a wise decisionn. we wont be rushing out to see the show again. As the character gypsy Rose kept shouting in her best Nellie Boswell accent…ITS TIME TO MOVE ON.
Thank you for your comments, John! I think there is definitely a gender divide when it comes to David Essex
The performance we saw in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, was quite near the start of the run so I wonder whether it is running out of steam (no pun intended following your comments!). However, I really did feel that the songs fitted in well – most of them, anyway!
Also, let me recommend the current touring production of Evita starring Louise Dearman and Seamus Cullen – it is truly fantastic! I’m certain that everyone would agree on that
Went yesterday afternoon to see this show at the Garrick Theatre and we all thought it was excellent. Yes, I am a life-long fan, but my husband and the other couple that came along arent particularly and they enjoyed it very much too. It was a very lively performance and the stage scenery was great, very clever. I just can’t understand some of the negative comments I have read on here.
We have been to see many shows in London and I can honestly say, this was one of the best we have seen.
Even managed to get my photo taken with David after the show, which I didn’t except to happen. He and some other members of the cast popped into the pub next door for a pint – very down to earth I thought.
Anyone thinking of going along – don’t hesitate for a minute.