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REVIEW
​ALL SHOOK UP - The Musical
The Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sea
8-11th May 2019
Well bless my soul, what's wrong with me?  How have I, (a) never seen this show before and (b), never realised how flipping good it is?

You know, sometimes you just have to be in the right mood for a juke box musical and obviously a lot of your enjoyment will depend on the artist that the said musical is being played around.  All Shook Up takes the legendary music of Elvis Presley and to be honest, whether you're a fan of the King of Rock 'n Roll or not, you cannot fail to enjoy this show.  It is written by 57 year old Joe Dipietro who is also known for writing the award winning, Memphis musical as well as The Toxic Avenger, amongst many others, which kind of gives you an idea of where the humour in this show comes from.

Director and choreographer, Sallie Warrington, of course, is no stranger to LODS plus she has also had the benefit of directing this production before with another local amdram group.  Her expertise is put to full use for this latest production and principals and ensemble alike have clearly worked their butts off to make this show look and sound as fabulous as you can expect.

All Shook Up takes place in 1955, somewhere in middle America, where one girl's dream and a surprise visit from from a mysterious leather-jacketed, guitar-playing stranger, Chad, played by Jamie Sampson, has the small town folk and not least the local mechanic, Natalie, played by Natalie McMillan 'all shook up' and about to discover the magic and intrigue of romance.  With a huge dollop of cheese and tongue-in-cheek segues into each number, All Shook Up redeems itself, big time, with a clever and hilarious script.  There is a lot of great comedy to be had including mistaken identities, sexual tension and confusion; and the cast don't waste any opportunity in conveying their comedy bones.

Jamie Sampson and Natalie McMillan shine in their roles of Chad and Natalie and look completely comfortable on stage.  This is Natalie's first lead role with LODS and what a lovely performance she gives.  Her vocals are not only a delight but extremely strong and she is very watchable.  Jamie, likewise, looks like he's loving every moment of playing the arrogant and cocky Chad and certainly knows how to use a facial expression to gain a laugh from the audience.

From the opening number of Jailhouse Rock right through to the last number, Can't Help Falling In Love, the ensemble are never far away and ready to punch out some fabulous harmonies.  Never short on energy, the LODS cast give it their all and display some great dancing skills and vocals, that you can't help but give out a whoop of appreciation each time a song ends.  I particularly enjoyed Devil in Disguise and the Janet Street-Porter lookalike angels - literal comedy heaven!

Mentions must also go to James Cohen who plays the awkward and geeky Dennis, who gives a great comic performance (he should definitely play Brad in Rocky Horror) and also gets to show off some nice vocals in It Hurts Me.  Sasha Monique also stands out as an actress as well as with those silky, soulful vocals, not least in There's Always Me.  It was also good to see Dani De Gregorio back on stage as the uptight Mayor Matilda.  Joanne Halliday (Miss Sandra), Peter Brown (Jim Haller), Nathan Gray (Dean Hyde), Rebecca Wallace (Lorraine) and Paul Ward (Sheriff Earl) are all perfectly cast.

The set looks great and sound and lighting is spot on, as one comes to expect when Glenn Oxenbury and Joshua Blows are involved in any production.

MD, Rachael Plunkett, has done an outstanding job in getting such wonderfully strong and powerful vocal harmonies from the cast, who will literally blow you away in some of these numbers - Heartbreak Hotel and Hound Dog stand out as does Can't Help Falling in Love at the end of Act 1 which sounds amazing, as does If I Can Dream and Burning Love at the end of the show.  These are tough songs to sing using full harmonies but LODS have clearly worked hard to make it look easy.

All Shook Up actually has to be one of the best shows that I thought I didn't really need to see; but my goodness, I'm glad I have. The show is cheesy but the humour is current and will have you giggling at its pure silliness.  I couldn't stop grinning throughout and enjoyed lots of laugh out loud moments.  All Shook Up is the perfect feel good show - don't miss out!

Check out our interview below with All Shook Up director and choreographer, Sallie Warrington and Jamie Sampson who plays Chad in Leigh Operatic & Dramatic Society's production which is playing at the Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sea, Essex from 8th May to 11th May 2019
The music of Elvis comes alive in All Shook Up. Inspired by Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, All Shook Up follows a small Midwestern town that is thrown into a frenzy with the arrival of Chad, a good-looking, motorcycle-riding roustabout, who rides from town to town with a guitar on his back, blue suede shoes on his feet, and a song in his heart. Repressed by their conservative mayor, the town begins to come alive once more under Chad’s influence. Lovers meet, woo, pursue, and more, all in one zany night that will change the town forever. All Shook Up is a rocking, heartwarming tale about following dreams, opening up to love, and the power of music.


Evenings £20.00
Matinees £18.00
Concessions £1 off (exc Fri and Sat eve)

www.southendtheatres.org.uk
Prices shown are inclusive of any applicable booking fees. Groups of 10+ please call 01702 351135 to buy fee-free.

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