There is no doubt the members of The Choir of Man have a passion and talent for singing. Their set covers rock classics and ballads ranging from Adele to Queen while lamenting the destruction of pubs in Ireland and England to be replaced by high rise apartments. The pubs are family, full of support and love.
There are some brilliant moments throughout the show as they hand out free beer to members of the audience. Building a house of cards while singing the Impossible dream, the vocal Under the Bridge by the Red Hot Chili Peppers while urinating at a urinal, and the high energy number that included a percussion delight while clanking beer mugs. Members of the audience, coerced into joining the choir up on stage, also added to some of the laugh out loud moments in the production.
At times, however during this performance, the beer at the bar went flat. The transitions between songs was clunky and awkward and the momentum of the production was lost. The instrumental piece sounded like a pack of screaming cats; which may have been more to do with the mixing desk than the talents of the cast. And while the cast were keen to get members of the audience up dancing – they sang numbers that went from upbeat to ballad, which lost the mood of being in a bar and ready to dance the night away.
Maybe the 6:30pm time slot was a little early to have a show that is set in a bar. A few more drinks under the belt may have added to the enjoyment of the evening which relies on the audience engaging and being willing to stand up, dance and have a wild time.
The Choir of Man
The Ice Cream Factory, 92 Roe Street, Northbridge (Perth)
Performance: Tuesday 21 January 2020
Season continues to 9 February 2020
Information and Bookings: www.fringeworld.com.au
Image: The Choir of Man (supplied)
Review: Craig Dalglish