REVIEW: The Songologues at Rosie's Wine Bar, Southsea

For the third time the Southsea Shakespeare Actors are at Rosie's Wine Bar doing their creative thing.
The Southsea Shakespeare ActorsThe Southsea Shakespeare Actors
The Southsea Shakespeare Actors

The idea behind The Songologues is to take a lyric, find an unexpected angle – a different interpretation, and perform it as a spoken piece.

There are some problems with the format of course. Lyrics are written with a strict rhythm, part-and-parcel of the music that originally accompanied them and sometimes the lure of that rhythm is completely irresistible for the performers.

That said there is some truly wonderful work on show.

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Vincent Adams, in particular, is superb at stepping beyond the beat and revels in the characterisation – particularly effective as a vicar and a bee. Yes. A bee.

Others who manage to jump the rhythm-rail are Sue Bartlett and Leila Millson, SSA stalwart of many years, Nick Downes and Susie Coutts and Hazel Aspden whose Independent Women is delivered from a surprisingly striking and moving standpoint.

Director Matt Gibbins has brought out huge creativity in his performers and, while some of the pieces work much better than others, the SSA should be roundly praised for this excellent – and, more importantly – different kind of performance.

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