America 1952. Freddie runs the Palace, a burlesque theatre that is struggling to stay afloat amidst a dwindling audience.
He is your archetypal show girl-style boss whose wheeling and dealing nature is countered by his jovial jeering at his performers. So far so standard. His once most bankable act Johnny – who provides the comedy alongside his sidekick Rags – has been blacklisted for not co-operating with Senator McCarthy’s anti-Communist witch-hunts.
Johnny’s girlfriend and lead performer at the Palace, Honey, is also pregnant with his child. Johnny plans to leave the theatre until the opportunity arises for him to clear his name… but to do so would mean to betray one of his closest friends.
Meanwhile new girl Amy has arrived, playing up to the advances of Freddie, much to the disdain of the theatre’s resident costumer Lula. There’s also a race subplot in which burlesque dancer Georgia hides her racial heritage by pretending to be Italian, much to the chagrin of her black boyfriend Saul.
The ‘Chicago-esque’ Burlesque is perhaps inappropriately titled: few of the performances are truly burlesque inspired, and the powerful themes and subplots are as far removed from the erotic nature of burlesque as you can get. But hey, it got our attention!
The first half skips along happily enough, introducing the characters and setting up their relationships. It’s pleasant enough, but doesn’t quite manage to grab us like it should as the characters are not given the chance to deliver their punches until the second half.
It’s then that the show really pulls us in. From when the McCarthy inquisition scenes take place, we really begin to get under the skin of the characters. The stand out songs are saved for the second half as well, with notable numbers including the hilarious ‘Love’s the Same All Over The World’ and the powerful ‘Fear Reprise’.
Johnny’s conflict reaches its height in a twist we didn’t see coming, as each character begins to take their fate back under their control. Some truly funny moments in a witty script, likeable characters and catchy songs from a cast with strong voices make this an enjoyable first run for this new musical.
• Jermyn Street Theatre, 16b Jermyn Street, SW1Y 6ST.
• Box Office: 020 7287 2875.
• Runs to Sunday 18th December.
3 Stars
