Soho Cinders at Charing Cross Theatre review ★★★★☆
Can you remember your excitement of your first night out in Soho? The mythos surrounding that one little neighbourhood is endless. For any young gay kid, it’s this imagined haven where community and debauchery go hand in hand. Little do you know that a night out in Soho often doesn’t amount to much more than a handjob in a bar toilet followed by a lap full of soggy chips at 4 am. Soho Cinders at Charing Cross Theatre re-ignites that excitement of your first night in Soho, with every corner vibrating with possibilities. This show is sure to be one of the gayest things you’ll see this year.
We meet the young and handsome Robbie (Luke Bayer) as he struggles to keep his mother’s Soho laundrette open, especially as his evil step-sisters Clodagh (Michaela Stern) and Dana (Natalie Harman) hike up the rent. Luckily he has the help of trusted friend Velcro (Millie O’Connell) to keep his spirits up, and a handful of dates with the city’s more well-off older men. Not quite enthused with Lord Bellingham (Christopher Coleman) who insists on handing him money, Robbie’s heart is set on mayoral candidate James Prince (Lewis Asquith). There’s just one thing standing between them: the soon-to-be Mrs Prince.
Loosely based around the familiar story of Cinderella, the Stiles and Drewe musical makes for thrilling viewing. Packed full of soap-opera plot twists and cliches, it’s all you could hope for in the gay run-up to Christmas. A musical inspired by the gayest neighbourhood in Britain? Hold on to your tap shoes. The musical numbers are kitschy and catchy and give this talented company more than enough to play with. Opening number “Old Compton Street” packs a real punch which immerses you in this sparkle-pink world that they’ve created, where newspaper headlines take precedence over social media and a central London laundrette is still a viable business opportunity. With so many musicals going for an “it’s okay to be different” message, it’s different to see one with a number and a reprise about wanting to be normal (“Wishing For The Normal“).
Though our main duo sure has a set of pipes on them, the evening’s most enjoyable performances come from our ugly stepsisters. This comedy duo is sure to get your sides splitting as they writhe around in their onesies. Their sassy drunken sauntering in “I’m So Over Men” is equal parts hilarious and relatable. These two are clearly enjoying the roles as much as we are. There are a few head-scratching plot points, most notably Robbie’s “a-ha!” moment when he realises that his mother actually did probably have him in his will. And running to catch someone before they grab a train to Margate doesn’t quite have that same running through the airport, end of romcom feeling.
This is one show that is sure to have you gagging for a drink down Old Compton Street after. Skipping down the neighbourhood’s tarmacked streets, you’re sure to have “You Shall Go To The Ball” stuck in your head. When you stand to queueing half an hour for your post-theatre drink, with a drag queen squawking in one ear and a man leering in the other, you sure wish you could have headed to the Soho of Soho Cinders instead.
Soho Cinders at Charing Cross Theatre is running until 21st December. Tickets available at LondonTheatre.co.uk.
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