Follow Spot have
certainly hit on a formula for enjoyable and satisfying escapist entertainment.
(Review by Keith Millar)
The Follow Spot
Production Company from Cape Town are undoubtedly one of the festival
favourites with their dazzling shows of high energy dance, song and tongue-
in-cheek comedy They are designed to be nothing other than pure escapist
entertainment.
At the 2018 Hilton Arts Festival they presented three
productions. The ubiquitous Big Boys
(this time version three, which they claim will be the last instalment), Caliente and You Should Be Dancing.
It was the latter
that I had the great pleasure of attending in the huge Falcon Tent venue at the
festival.
The show was filled
with sizzling high energy dance – as the title of the show may suggest, loads
of popular of songs and plenty of humour as the show achieves its mandate of
being pure razzle dazzle entertainment.
All of the cast of
six contribute to the vocals and the physical comedy, while there are some very
funny moments as the driving forces behind Follow Spot, married couple Ash
Searle and Vanessa Harris, share anecdotes of their domestic shenanigans and
the processes of creating a production
Nearly every style
of dance one could think of is represented in the show. From Jive and
Charleston to Modern and Disco. There is even a bit of Twerking.
In one hilarious
segment, Ash Searle and his brother Brad (The Big Boys) rush through
demonstrations of funk, ballet, burlesque, Bollywood, Irish, contemporary, a
lap dance, twerking and finish with THE move from Dirty Dancing all in the matter of about five minutes.
A serious moment in
the show is when young velvet-voiced Adonis Liam McDermott accompanies himself
on guitar as he croons a moody rendition of Simply
The Best.
Also of note was the
beautiful, sexy and sensuous pas de deux
danced by Ash Searle and Vanessa Harris.
Included in the cast
of six were impressive dancer/singers Caely Levy and Nadine Theron. The show is
certainly not short on eye candy.
Follow Spot have
certainly hit on a formula for enjoyable and satisfying escapist entertainment.
Long may it last. - Keith Millar
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