(Ramaine
Barreiro-Lloyd & Tiaan Rautenbach)
Most definitely not a "same-old,
same-old" Barnyard presentation. Don’t miss it! (Review by John Harley)
The Barnyard Theatre at Gateway has just
released a revival of the Glory Days of
the 80's.
You will experience hits from Richard Marx,
Rick Ashley, Boy George and Lionel Ritchie as well as from divas Gloria Gaynor,
Shirley Bassey and Tina Turner. Also on offer are songs from Stevie Wonder, Sir
Elton John, Eddy Grant, Bob Marley, Robert Palmer, Bryan Adams and UB40, as
well as a rocking tribute to Gary Moore's Still
got the Blues.
Over time, the Barnyard Theatre has established
a rather "fixed" presentational format regarding style and manner of
presentation. So, when asked to review the show, I came fully prepared for the
usual "same-old"!
Was I in for a pleasant surprise! I
probably should have realised that with Ian von Memerty's name on the credit
list as scriptwriter, I would be given a run for my money - he is a musical
wizard!
This was most definitely NOT a
"same-old, same-old" production; in fact, quite the contrary!
The introduction of the character Wally (Tiaan
Rautenbach) as link-man and vocalist was a delightful innovation that paid
great dividends - linking each song in an hilarious way, and at the same time
feeding the audience interesting historical information about the 80's musical
genre. This technique turned what could otherwise have been a boring concert
format into a most amusing, delightful, exciting, entertaining, coordinated
theatrical blast!
Over the past years, I have been going on
about innovation, contrast and surprise - well, this production had it all and
some to spare. The audience were rampant, shouting, clapping and stomping to
their hearts content!
The show presented a great selection of
show stoppers that had the audience in a frenzy. Von Memerty's brilliant
creative touch was evident throughout, producing a laugh-factor that would be
difficult to outdo - eg the hilarious entrance of "Tina Turner's" (Ramaine
Barreiro-Lloyd) down the centre stage stairs brought the house down completely.
Every song was beautifully set-up and
linked to the next, giving the show an organic, guttural sense of flow that was
quite stunning!
I am not going to single out any of the
vocals or instrumentalists; they were all quite superb but I would have liked
to hear more solo activity from Calli Thomson - she was brilliant!
This will be the venue's 80th production
(staged since 2001), with a musical journey through the decade of the 80's that
will truly have you crying with laughter; featuring songs that will tug at your
heartstrings and showcases music that will bring back a flood of wonderful
memories! Be prepared for the biggest PARTY in the history of mankind.
Glory Days runs until
May 26. Tickets R140 pp Wednesday to Saturday (R105 pp Tuesday night and R95 pp
Sunday matinees).
Booking and enquiries through The Barnyard Theatre on 031 566 3045, e-mail:
barngate@mweb.co.za or visit www.barnyardtheatre.co.za – John Harley
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