(Rowan Bartlett,
Darren King & Bryan Hiles)
Jazzy foot-tapping and hugely enjoyable entertainment.
(Review by Caroline Smart)
Get Knotted is the
third in the series of shows presented by Bryan Hiles, Darren King and Rowan
Bartlett. Seen at the recent 2018 Hilton Arts Festival, it focuses once again
on the city of Las Vegas and pays tribute to the singers who have performed
there.
Following Tie a Knot
in It and Tie Another Knot in It, Get
Knotted is just as funny, clever and highly entertaining as the first
production.
These are three extremely talented and versatile actors
whose skills of performance make singing – and dancing – look so comfortable
and spontaneous, despite the tiny stage area they had to work on at Hilton.
This year’s show looks beyond the city we invariably identify
with glitz, glamour, money and, of course, cabaret. The show celebrates the
people who made Las Vegas the entertainment capital of the world.
As the audience enters, the trio are sweeping the floor dressed
in overalls and casual hats that have seen many years of usage. The light
banter between them evolves into the show itself and the banter becomes
full-blown comedy amidst the songs which they perform either solo, as a duet or
a trio.
The song list is full of well-known and much-loved
favourites such as King of the Road Lady
is a Tramp; Islands in the Stream; Java Java; That Old Black Magic and Can’t Take My Eyes off of you.
Don’t expect anything from Celine Dion, though, she’s not
one of their favourites!
Costumes range from glitzy sparkling jackets to smart suits with
Bartlett doing a Dolly Parton at one stage, looking outrageous in a white curly
be-ribboned wig!
It’s not all bright and uptempo. The programme includes beautiful,
soulful and emotive numbers such as L O V
E; Smile; Chandelier and Party Girls.
The aim of this show is to try to educate audiences about
Las Vegas. How does the city deal with such things as homeless people and
overpopulation? It also has the US’s top suicide rate. We learn about household
water usage per day, the enormous dumpsite landfill as well as the number of
doors in a major hotel and the amount of toilet paper used by another. These
snippets of information are dropped casually into the jazzy foot-tapping and hugely
enjoyable entertainment.
Get Knotted now
moves to the Rhumbelow Theatre in Durban for a run from September 21 to 30,
2018, with Friday and Saturday performances at 20h00 and Sunday shows starting
at 14h00. The venue opens 90 minutes before show for picnic dinner.
Tickets R150 (R130 pensioners and tables of eight or more). Take
along food picnic baskets but burgers, chips and cake will be available. Braais
are also available. There is limited secure parking and booking is essential. There
is a cash bar (no alcohol may be brought on to the premises). – Caroline Smart
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