Witches - The New Wimbledon Theatre, Wimbledon
September 30th -
October 4th
Review: The Witches of Eastwick, New Wimbledon Theatre
Wednesday, October 15, 2008, 07:00
5 stars
Be careful what you wish for because it
might come true. That's the idea behind this musical, now touring with one-time
pop star Marti Pellow in the leading role.
He plays Darryl Van Horne, a sexy man
conjured up by three bored and sexually frustrated women in the American
backwater of Eastwick in the late 1950s.
Alexandra, Sukie and Jane discover
their witchy powers and, with the arrival of the anarchic devil incarnate
Darryl, decide to share him and his bed while getting extra magical kicks taking
revenge on the uptight town bossy-boots.
Eventually it all gets out of hand and
Mr Naughty has to go back where he came from. But it's huge fun while it lasts.
Former Wet Wet Wet front man Pellow is
an absolute revelation as Van Horne, giving his all to the part and creating a
real sexy little devil whose close relation was surely the serpent who tempted
Eve in the Garden of Eden. He's dangerously wicked, rampant and rapacious with a
maniacal glint in his eye. He slithers and slides with flickering tongue and has
his hands all over the women in a performance so compellingly energetic and
committed it deserves to win awards.
His women are a gorgeous trio of
feminists. Ria Jones is the artistic Alexandra, Poppy Tierney the musical Jane
and Rebecca Thornhill reprises the role of journalist Sukie which she played in
the West End.
The musical numbers are not exactly
hummable enough to take away with you but they are great while you listen to
them, especially Dirty Laundry with its cute choreography and raunchy Dance With
The Devil.
This is one hell of a sexy show and
puts Marti Pellow sky high on the theatrical radar. He's a leading man everyone
is going to want a piece of after this.
Diana Eccleston
