Ben Elton – The Musical
Dan Thomas
Gilded Balloon Teviot @18:30 6th – 28th Aug (not 15th) £4.25, £8.50 (£7.50), £9.50 (£8.50)
**
West End Tory, a one man ‘spectacle-acular’ looks good on paper, it’s genuinely an amusing concept to create a musical parody of Ben Elton’s contemporary attack upon the West End theatre circuit.

Unfortunately this crazed conceit raised barely a titter from the audience when I was present. Normally I would provide the benefit of the doubt observing that it could be a matter of personal perception, but two people walked out half way and the only audible exception was one woman at the rear who laughed at jokes before they began, surely an avid fan or a close relation. The one time when those present raised an clear display of appreciation was when Thomas, in drag, adjusted his costume in a funny way.

In respect of his observations, Dan Thomas has expertly grasped Ben Elton’s trademark stand-up vocal styles and his mike stand grasping mannerisms. His routine features some nice ideas and a thoroughly disturbing Thatcherite phantom creation, with good use made of modern multi-media techniques. Beside this with its clunky Casio soundtrack it is not much more than a cavalcade of stupid costumes, silly voices and joke shop wigs.
A fair plan; poorly realised.

by Ian Phillips