Lorna Dallas: The Cabaret Files - Crazy Coqs

"The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time." - James Taylor

Theatrical legend Lorna Dallas takes to the stage once again to present a cabaret of her favourite songs from the show tune songbook.

Dallas comes from a small town in Southern Illinois and dared to dream her way to the stage, despite her family's views on the life of an artist. Hearing her talk and sing, you can hear that Lorna lives and breathes for the stage. Having appeared in the Adelphi Theatre production of Showboat in the early 1970s, amongst a whole breadth of other notable works, Lorna is full of incredible stories. Her rendition of "Nobody Else But Me" in honour of her late co-star Cleo Laine was truly magnificent.

Dallas is accompanied by long-time collaborator Simon Beck on piano. Hearing those beautiful scores with nothing more than that was a truly cathartic experience. It is a short cabaret, around 75 minutes, but one that transports you to the fascinating world of show business in an instant.

My personal favourite moment was the introduction of a musical, new to me, based on the idea that Dorothy Gale from The Wizard of Oz was in fact a real person. Dorothy is now an aged woman with dementia and, in moments of fleeting lucidity, reminisces about her time in the world of Oz. Dallas spoke of a hope that there would be a part in this show for her, and after hearing her sing "Was" (written and composed by Barry Kleinbort and Joseph Thalken), I'd argue that the crime would be to not grant that wish.

Now, this cabaret was rich with references from times past, and I quickly found myself wanting of a few explanations. But those cabarets exist, mostly, for the pleasure of those already familiar with the artist. As I was not, and had only heard of Lorna a mere hours before the performance, it was natural that I felt slightly lost at times. But no matter, as the music was enchanting all the same.

Production Value: 80%

Value For Money: 80%

Personal Enjoyment: 80%

Overall Score: 80% - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4*)

(AD | gifted in exchange for an honest review)

Show Information

Venue: Crazy Coqs, London

Playing ONE NIGHT ONLY

Run Time: Approximately 75 min