COWARD AND COLE

Grahamstown: July 4, 2012 – Review by Keith Millar

Only 30 people turned up at the Albany Cabaret Club on Tuesday evening to see Godfrey Johnson and Roland Perold present their show Coward and Cole. This is a great pity because it is a very good show indeed.

Noel Coward and Cole Porter were among the most prolific songwriters of the last century and composed many memorable ballads, love songs as well as songs of great wit. Among the songs on offer in this production are Noel Coward’s satirical Mad Dogs and Englishman and Don’t Put Your Daughter on the Stage Mrs. Worthington. From the Cole Porter songbook there are golden oldies such as Let’s Do It, In the Still of the Night and Begin the Beguine.

Godfrey Johnson and Roland Perold are consummate performers. These multi-talented and versatile artists play the piano with aplomb, sing with great warmth and passion and present with great humour and charm.

This is a very laidback show and they create the feeling that they are just two very good friends sitting at their pianos fooling around and ad-libbing a few jokes. And then they get serious and sing a poignant love song with exquisite harmonies, which moved more than one audience member to tears. Anyone who enjoys the great old tunes of this era will love this show.

It is a pity that the Albany Bowling Club Hall, which hosts cabaret presentations at the festival, is only suitable for theatre seating. It would have enhanced this - and I am sure many of the other - cabaret productions if a restaurant type ambiance could have been created by using tables and chairs.

Coward and Cole will be performed again at the Albany Cabaret Club on July 5 at 13h00, July 6 at 15h00 and July 7 at 11h00. – Keith Millar