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I know it’s make believe but I like it
IT'S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE
Upstairs At The Gatehouse
THEATRE director John Plews and family have pulled off another Christmas miracle – I’ve never heard Status Quo sound so good. Against all my normal sensibility, I left the theatre humming: ‘And I like it. I li-li-li-like it, li-li-li-like it. Here we go-oo-oo’.
But that’s the magic of Christmas at Upstairs At The Gatehouse. The seasonal festivities never feel like they have quite started until the opening of the annual Christmas musical in Highgate.
This year it’s a real home-grown effort, directed and partly written by Mr Plews himself and choreographed by daughter Racky. It’s Only Make Believe is a loony tale about a derelict cinema haunted by frustrated B movie actors.
They leap out of forgotten film reels like a genie from a lamp to play cupid in a panto romance. It might sound too outlandish for some but stick with it and there are laughs to be had, smart set pieces to enjoy and by the end you too will be rocking to the Quo by the end.
Plews defends the rise of the ‘jukebox musical’ – the kind of show which is punctuated with pop hits that have already had chart success – in the programme notes.
Purists say that musicals should have an original score. Sod the purists. The best evidence is the show itself. Make Believe puts bums on seats and smiles on faces – what more do you want at this time of year?
The mix of tunes is a bit of a jumble, one minute it’s Rosemary Clooney, the next Barry White, and then on to The Quo. It meant there was something for everyone. It’s a great cast – my favourite was hapless ’30s gangster Frankie – and a slick house band. They must be doing something right as they were singing in the back row on Saturday night – not very well, but they were singing. I li-li-li-like it, li-li-li-like it.
Until Jan 28
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