Janie Dee leads an incredible ensemble in a well-crafted cabaret which occasionally misses the mark
Janie Dee brings her Beautiful World Cabaret to the Jermyn Street theatre for a night of music, songs, Shakespeare, spoken word and storytelling to lead us in a conversation about our relationship with nature and this shared world we must protect.
The obvious thing to say up top is that Janie Dee does not disappoint. Does she ever? Dee is a versatile, dynamic performer who compels the stage with unfair effortlessness. Name a style and she can slip comfortably into it, from breathy ballads to soulful R&B to vaudeville numbers, forever bringing everyone into every moment. That’s before she casually leaves the audience rapt while delivering a Titania monologue that could join a tour of A Midsummer Night’s Dream tomorrow.
The show’s dynamism is a huge plus, and an expectation for a night of cabaret, and the momentum it offers is a healthy remedy for the choices that don’t quite land as strongly. The first half, interspersed with facts Dee has learnt and anecdotes from her life, is relatively light and glitzy (as is Dee’s dress) even when touching on global issues. If the intention here is to entertain a middle-to-upper class audience while carefully, and sincerely, raising awareness of some important topics, the show succeeds.
Speaking of successes, the entire ensemble are marvellous and talent abounds. Performers Josephine Ortiz Lewis and Sophia Priolo are great supports and shine in their solo moments, with Priolo also having written parts of the evening. The evening’s musicians – Sarah Harrision on violin and Igor Outkine on accordion – seem like they have been plucked out of the Proms to perform for us, such is their mastery of their instruments, showcased in moments of classical music as well as the accompanying of newer classics. Under the watchful eye of musical director Jordan Clarke, who also acts as pianist, the show is tight, energised and characterful, and Priolo’s considered choreography is a welcome addition.
If the first half is full of spring and summery joy, the second half is our winter – one complete with discontent. While still delivered beautifully, it is in the perhaps inevitable delving deeper into the issues that the show loses its punch. If I was being unfair, I’d say the spoken word feels like a GCSE-piece which has been given a stupendous budget. If I was being generous, I’d say it is a heartfelt reflection on the state of the world which is indulgent only by my taste. It was always going to be the problem with this show: how to jump between styles and into seriousness when the audience loves the sparkle?
All that said, the night is thoroughly enjoyable and worth seeing. Dee and co are clearly passionate, conscientious people trying to share their difference-making with an evening of entertainment. “All the world’s a stage, now let’s protect it,” says the show notes. I agree, but then I did already.