Published: 11/02/2009
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WET Wet Wet frontman Marti Pellow has yet again pulled off a spellbinding transformation from pop idol to song and dance star. He staged a superb performance, full of humour and charisma, to act as the centre point of this impressive musical production.
The show is set in the fictional Eastwick, where the townspeople are all painted smiles, living unfulfilled lives and seething with sexual tension.
Three frustrated women played by the excellent Ria Jones, Rebecca Thornhill and Poppy Tierney long for release.
And it comes in the form of hunky Mr Pellow. It takes about 20 minutes for him to make his entrance but when he did it was one to remember
A loud cheer rang out across the packed theatre and from that moment he owned the stage with his slinking, feline, prowling moves.
With a white shirt undone at the chest to display a glittering medallion he is a caricatured machismo.
Pellow was clearly having the time of his life as the devilish lothario Darryl Van Horne.
Pellow may be well into his 40s but he clearly still has the same allure as in his heyday with Wet Wet Wet.
And with that status he is the ideal choice for Van Horne.
Pellow's voice is as rich as ever and he plays the role tongue in cheek, a mixture of Glen Quagmire from Family Guy, the knowing, double entendre wink of Leslie Phillips and the moves of Tom Jones.
While the handsome singer is the main draw, the show is not all about Pellow.
Rachel Izen is superb as Felicia Gabriel, Van Horne's nemesis and plays the character with humour and gusto. She leads the cast in a rip roaring Dirty Laundry and her chemistry with husband Clyde (James Graeme) balanced humour and tragedy, as they were trapped in a doomed marriage.
Special mention should go to designer Peter McKintosh for the impressive sets, that allowed for the swift movement from scenes.
A witty, upbeat, and contemporary update of the 1987 film and John Updike novel this should not be missed. Its magic!