London Calling - Review by Alice Wordsworth

***** (5 Stars)

Salisbury Playhouse, Salisbury - Thursday 19 December, 2013

London Calling entwines a feast of music that celebrates our great capital throughout the ages. In no other production would the transition from Lilly Allen’s "LDN", to a Henry V monologue seem so effortless and this is due to the extremely high calibre of the three performers. The multi-talented actors provide the accompaniment for all the songs and similarly sang and moved with true grace.

London Calling masters the act of simplicity to a tee. The stage design captures the essence of London; with the glowing Underground sign, red telephone box and two interconnecting tube lines printed on the floor symbolising the bustle of London.

The transition between songs is masked beautifully by individual monologues, allowing the actors to create a character for the audience, meaning the evening does not just feel like one song after another. The unity of the actors is utterly admirable. The harmonies from 2 weeks of rehearsal are impeccable and the quality of sound is a joy to the ears.

It is a production that has your feet tapping one minute and your spine tingling another. The performers are constantly engaged with the audience; whether being in amongst the auditorium, on stage making us laugh or flirtatiously caressing one’s hand and singing a love song. I recommend you ask for an encore, as it gives the audience a chance to sing along and be a part of this wonderful production.

London Calling is the perfect antidote to pantomime and is definitely worth a watch!

Photo: Richard Davenport

London Calling is playing at the Salisbury Playhouse until 18 January, 2014. Buy your tickets here: http://salisburyplayhouse.com/page/london-calling