'If you know any gay men...' Christine Pedi whispers to the audience, hitting on the exact demographic required for her one-woman (plus pianist Matthew Ward) revue. Gay men along with all fans of Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli and Barbra Streisand - or anyone with an encyclopaedic knowledge of Broadway and its divas - will relish this show. Christine Pedi describes herself as 'old enough to remember the Beatles and to have watched Sesame Street'. She's a consummate old-school entertainer and Broadway aficionado. She sings in tribute to a number of female legends, including the 'very first Broadway belter' Ethel Merman alongside household names like Liza Minnelli and Broadway notaries such as Patti LuPone and Chita Rivera. She mingles these in with her own version of musical numbers from - among others - Annie, Chicago and Gypsy.

She brings a huge range of familiar characters in unlikely situations to life, from Barbra Streisand singing I've got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts to Julie Andrews singing I Couldn't Hit The Note'. Even Murder She Wrote's Angela Lansbury gets a turn in Chicago. Christine Pedi's elastic features and instinctive comic timing never seem to let up - except for the interludes when she recalls her childhood, or banters with her ever-smiling pianist and musical director Matthew Ward. She creates an intimate atmosphere as she jokes and chatters, encouraging people to sing along and at one point stopping to ask if anyone needs a pee break.

She often looks back to a time when she says that she was a 'functioning soprano', and her voice does occasionally takes a little longer to reach the note. But in songs such as Chicago's When You're Good to Mama or a jazzed-up A Spoonful of Sugar from Mary Poppins, her remarkable flair and technique take over. It is, quite simply, a joy to listen to her and her spin on these familiar tunes.

Cast Credits: Christine Pedi - (performer). Matthew Ward - (pianist)

Company Credits: Creators - Christine Pedi and Matthew Ward. Writer - (various songwriters and lyricists). Director - (uncredited). Musical Director - Matthew Ward. Lighting Designer - (uncredited). Sound Designer - (uncredited). Technical Operator - (uncredited). Press - David Burns (Clout Communications). Producer - (uncredited). Company - Jermyn Street Theatre in association with CP Productions. Website - www.christinepedi.com.

END

(c) Philippa Tatham 2009

reviewed Wednesday 3 June 2009 / Jermyn Street Theatre, London UK

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012

www.fringereport.com