Simon and Garfunkel’s 5thalbum together “Bridge over troubled water” was the biggest selling album of 1970, 1971 and 1972 and at the time the biggest selling album of all time. Its iconic title song was written by Paul Simon about their failing relationship and sung mainly by Art Garfunkel. The folk rock duo split up shortly afterwards. The Simon and Garfunkel Story could have illuminated the audience on how their relationship developed and the causes of the breakdown in their friendship. Instead Dean Elliot (Director/writer) and Preece Kilick (CSM/Director) give us a straight chronological concert presentation of their music with the actors out of character narration of the linking minimal biography.
For a Simon and Garfunkel fan, who knows their music, it is a faithful well executed tribute show and a chance to hear the less well known album tracks performed live. The strong backing band of Adam Smith (guitar/organ), Leon Caulfield (bass) and Mat Swales (drums), augmented by a three piece brass ensemble in the second half, provide a powerful backing to the duo and particularly excel in the musical interlude which covers the singers solo work between 1971 and 1981.Sadly at times they seemed to drown out the vocals of the duo and so in the unfamiliar songs it was sometimes hard to catch the lyrics.
