REVIEW: The Cher Show at the New Victoria Theatre, Woking

The Cher Show tells the life story of the music legend and icon, Cher. Premiering on Broadway in 2018 the production closed in August 2019 but did pick up a few Tony Awards for Best Leading Actress (Stephanie J Block) and Best Costume Design (Bob Mackie). A new production was announced to tour the UK with direction from Arlene Phillips and Choreography by Oti Mabuse starring West End stars Debbie Kurup, Danielle Steers and Millie O’Connell. Playing at the New Victoria theatre in Woking this week, the show is pretty much midway through its run. 

Debbie Kurup, Danielle Steers and Millie O’Connell are an absolute sensation. The iconic woman that is Cher is a character most of us are familiar with, whether that is from her lengthy career or just through impressions through Drag Race. Her mannerisms are iconic and completely individual and each one of these ladies brings everything and more, the challenge with playing a character like this is that it can get very mimicry and flat but theses actors manage to make her a real life, living, breathing, 3D person. Which of course she is, but to take the story and breath believable life into it is not be an easy job! 

REVIEW: The Future Ain't What It Used To Be, the new album from West End star Danielle Steers

Danielle Steers debut album is a mix of nine cover versions of Jim Steinman songs from the last forty years of his catalogue. Steers is an established musical theatre star creating the role of Zahara in the wonderful Bat out of hell which I saw first in Manchester and then in London at the Coliseum and The Dominion Theatre. She is a Steinman fan herself and the Bat out of hell fans adored her strong stage presence. More recently before Lockdown she was in Six as Catherine Parr and was due to perform in concert herself. 

The album title “The Future ain’t what it used to be” (5 minutes) is taken from a track on the 2006 Meatloaf album. Its name suggests the 1942 Duke Ellington Jazz song “Things ain’t what they used to be” or perhaps the 1960 Lionel Bart musical “Fings ain’t wot they used to be” but this is a soaring powerful rock and roll song which shows off her clear powerful vocals. it makes a great opening track to the album.