11-01-2010
Review: Christmas with Only Men Aloud!, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane Kelly Edwards After a hugely enjoyable performance here in May, Only Men Aloud! returned to the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane for a triumphant evening of festive favourites. Opening number Veni Emmanuel, with its dramatic staging, set the scene for a fabulous night of music and entertainment, with highlights of the first half including a delightful a cappella performance of Billy Joel's The Longest Time and a moving Band of Brothers, dedicated to British troops who are away from their families this Christmas time. Just before the interval, a ripple of excitement ran through the auditorium when that familiar band intro and a loosening of ties and collars heralded the unexpected appearance of the audience favourite It's Not Unusual (and the Tom Jones medley), with the swinging hips onstage surely the best way to raise temperatures on a freezing December night. The choir were complemented on this tour by the charming Welsh soprano Gwawr Edwards, whose soaring Ave Maria and One Moment In Time added a real note of glamour. Still more glamour was injected by Tim Rhys-Evans himself, whose first half shoes were outspangled only by his second half jacket. After the interval, the moves of the Tom Jones numbers were matched (or possibly even outclassed) by Copacabana, which was as camp as Christmas but even more joyful. And if this wasn't enough of an unexpected treat from Tim and the choir, the surprise guest appearance from Kerry Ellis - performing a super-slinky Diamonds Are Forever and a barnstorming Somebody To Love - surely was. The rest of the second half focused on festive music, ranging from a new arrangement of Stille Nacht / I'll Be Home For Christmas to a witty performance of Santa Baby, which made the most of the chemistry between Gwawr and the choir. While the performances on the night were faultless across the choir and band, honourable mentions have to go to the many talented soloists, particular Aled Powys Williams for his beautiful baritone, and David Fortey, whose plaintive rooftop solo in Chim Chim Cher-ee had to be rerun after technical problems with microphones; the second try was no less haunting, despite the sudden and unexpected audience of twenty strapping Welshmen looming among the chimney pots. Other notable individual contributions came from new choir members Niall Allen and David Mahoney, who performed with real gusto, Andy Mulligan, with a rocking guitar solo, surprising acrobat Stephen Hamnett, Thomas Oliver with his unique injection of musical theatre in the encore Rhythm Of Life, and Dafydd Rhys Evans for showing that - whatever Tim thinks - at least one choirboy can dance. Of course, any mention of individual contributions can't be complete without a nod to arranger and accompanist extraordinaire Jeff Howard, and our most delightful host Tim himself, without whom none of this would be possible. At the end of the show - and before two richly-deserved standing ovations - the tumbling snow in Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas added a final touch of festive magic to a perfect night.