York Theatre Royal
Reviewed by K.Roberts
4****
Velma Celli’s, God Save the Queens is a mix of old fashioned cabaret and humour that Ian Stroughair (Celli) delivers with his usual confident demeanour and old school wit. He unashamedly informs the crowd from the start that if they’re easily offended then this shows not for them. Of course everyone knows what they’re getting from the experience and laps up his initial banter before settling down to enjoy the show.
The thing with Stroughair is although his alter ego plays up to the crowd with his stage character and diva antics, he can of course sing and very well at that. Beginning with Florence and the Machine (Dog Days are Over) he sets a tone from the start. Peppered with classics from Queens such as Adele, Amy Winehouse and Annie Lennox, he belts out hit after hit, hitting the high notes with aplomb.
A show like this can be particularly exhausting when delivering a set of powerful hits but Celli never falters. The crowd is encouraged to get involved throughout, which makes for a great atmosphere. Some personal stories from Celli adds some depth to the performance and then after the break you’re treat to some lovely moments with special guests Jessica Steel and Stuart Allen. This leads to a particularly poignant duet between Steel and Celli, singing Sinead O’Connors, Nothing Compares 2 U, which quietened the audience as it was a beautiful tribute to the late singer. Once Celli took centre stage again, the show was then wrapped up with a fabulous Queen medley sending the raucous crowd home satisfied that they’d been thoroughly entertained.
Despite the fantastic vocals and sharp wit of Celli, I think she was let down a little with the production. The show could do with a bit more glam befitting of a night with a Queen. Celli looked fabulous but the stage setting was rather drab. The band sat behind in relative darkness, looking at times to be bored and a little out of place. A show like this needs a background that is worthy of the songs and the artist performing them, their name up in lights, some dancers possibly. Aside from this Celli thoroughly entertained the crowd and I can understand how Stroughair has won so many accolades for other performances in the past. Just next time, we need a stage that is fit for a Queen.