If the DREAMBOATS & PETTICOATS team are going to be BRINGING ON BACK THE GOOD TIMES, then you have to do it with the most popular and successful stars of the show, and that’s exactly what you’ll get in the latest production at the New Theatre in Cardiff this week.
ELIZABETH CARTER (Laura) and DAVID RIBI (Bobby) star in the third show in this incredibly popular, hit-music filled franchise, and boy is this one crammed with some absolute song-a-long classics.
You can take a look at our interview with Elizabeth HERE.
Laura has a successful solo career but her partner on their number one hit record Dreamboats and Petticoats’ Bobby has left the spotlight and re-joined his former group Norman and The Conquests at St Mungo’s Youth Club.
During the two hours the show runs, we follow the couple, along with Norman (ALISTAIR HILL), Sue (LAUREN ANDERSON-OAKLEY), Donna (SAMARRA CLARKE) and Ray, the group’s manager (DAVID LUKE), on a musical journey. We get a season at the holiday camp Butlins. and an appearance on the The Eurovision Song Contest. What we’re really waiting for is the big reunion which we hope will end up with the loving couple back together again – but will it happen?
Of course I’m not going to tell you that, but will remind the show is called Bringing On Back The Good Times – so you can make up your own mind.
The storyline is light and fun, with some really funny lines along the way, none more so than at the Song Contest. in fact I’d go to say this is a real scene stealer for us.
Kenneth Williams is hosting this version of the contest, played brilliantly by DAVID BENSON, who I had the pleasure of interviewing a few years ago.
There’s a fair chance you know David from the TV series Goodnight Sweetheart – he was Noel Coward in the later episodes, and mighty fine he was in that. As Kenneth Williams however, he is absolutely spot-on, and brings a nice element to the production, away from the music. The opening night audience were completely taken by his ‘Kenneth’ and we all laughed in all the right places.
Another face to watch out for is MARK WYNTER who is perfect as the music manager Larry. For those of you who are at the ‘younger’ end of the scale, Mark had a string of hits in the sixties, nine top twenty UK single chart hits to be precise, including ‘Venus in Blue Jeans‘ and ‘Go Away Little Girl‘. So if the show was real life, Mark would be ideally placed to be a music manager with that sort of experience.
He’s now in his 80s (and looking great incidentally), and we can tell you that he had more than a few hearts a fluttering last night. He performed the Eden Kane song ‘Well I Ask You’, one of those songs you may have forgotten but it was well worth a revival in the show. Pub quiz fact – Eden Kane is Peter Sarstedt’s brother, and is still belting out this song on stage.
Don’t worry, Mark also gets the chance to perform some of his hit songs that we know and love.
The story itself is simple and nice, and never moves into the dark side of music, they maintain the feel-good factor pretty much all the way through. It goes along at a steady old pace, as you would expect it to. With a book by LAURENCE MARKS & MAURICE GRAN, the guys who brought us Birds of a Feather and Goodnight Sweetheart (you see the connection to David Benson now?), it’s always going to be a great story.
But at the end of it all, we are here for the music, and a selection of some of the best hits of the late 60s. The show kind of runs in tandem with the multi-million selling Dreamboats & Petticoats albums, which are always popular additions to anyones music collection.
And like a true 1960s coffee shop jukebox, Bringing On Back The Good Times rattled through hit after hit and kept the audience singing and clapping to each and every one of them – we counted around 30 in total.
There’s a lovely version of ‘Blue Moon’, which lends itself perfectly to the acapella treatment they give it in the show. Elizabeth Carter sings a really tender rendition of the Lesley Gore 1963 hit ‘You Don’t Own Me’. And as you can imagine with a show like this, the energy is high and there are plenty of movers and shakers to get you on your feet.
I must praise the on-stage band. Some of these songs are far from the bubblegum hits we might think. They handled each of them brilliantly and added great support to the singers who each performed them well. There are some really great harmonies too, something you associate with the 60s music. Listen out for Never My Love and you’ll see what I mean.
And this is a proper band with Musical Director SHERIDAN LLOYD behind the keyboard. There’s a couple of great guitar players in JOE STIRLING (Richard/The Kellys), and Dreamboats regular ALAN HOWELL (Eric). BENJI LORD (The Kellys) thumps that bass. The brass section includes ROB GATHERCOLE (Jeremy/The Kellys) playing trumpet, and a couple of sax players CHLOE EDWARDS-WOOD (Daisy/Betsy) on tenor and clarinet and LAUREN CHINERY (Babs/June/Tania Thomas) baritone and clarinet. And last, but absolutely not least, keeping that beat on the drums is DANIEL KOFI WEALTHYLAND (Barry).
As you can see from the listing above, the band are also part of the actual cast and story too.
As for the set, designed by SEAN KAVANAGH, it has a great big 60s stamp all over it, with posters aplenty, set off by some great lighting. The costumes are spot-on vintage, and the dancing is everything you would expect from a 60s inspired show, thanks to the Dance Captain CHLOE EDWARDS-WOOD.
The Director is a very well known face from this type of show, and quite a few on the telly as well, BILL KENWRIGHT.
When it comes to our reviews we always like to find out what you thought of the show, so we spoke to Margaret from Splott and Elaine who made the journey from Port Talbot to catch a bit of 60s nostalgia.
Margaret told us………
‘It’s the songs I love really. I’ve got the CDs and I play them all the time. I’ve really enjoyed the story in this show though. The cast are so good and the girl who plays Laura has a lovely voice.
“I didn’t know Mark Wynter was going to be in it as well, I had a bit of a crush on him, probably more years go than I care to remember, but he was lovely, and still is. I remember playing the Blue Jeans song over and over again, till I’d almost worn it out.
“I loved the show and think I’ll be coming back with some of my girlfriends from the knit and natter club – when I say girls, I mean old girls.”
We found this just for you Margaret, you can play it to your hearts content – Venus In Blue Jeans.
We mentioned the fact the band were also a key part of the show, it seemed Elaine liked that…….
“The band sounded impressive and it was good they were also part of the show as well.
I loved all the costumes as well, they were just like they were back then, especially the girls dresses and the boys suits. I wished people dressed like that today for a night out.
I really love the whole show and the music, and the bit at the end when we all got to sing and dance. The man who played Kenneth Williams was also really funny.”
For many in the audience the characters are familiar, some felt as though they’ve grown up with them through the various tours. Elizabeth as Laura for example, is still as sweet as she was when we first met her all those years ago, but she has a little streetwise about her now which is nice to see. That was clear with ‘You Don’t Own Me‘. Musically though, her voice is as strong as ever, if not more so.
We reckon there really is something for everyone with a bit of Roy Orbison, The Walker Brothers, and so many more. Watch out for Alistair who is Norman – he has the Elvis touch down to a fine art. For lovers of the previous shows, it was a treat to see him back for a third time. He’s still up to his ‘old tricks’ but his wife Sue, keeps him in check.
To be honest, we could have also gone with a little more of Samara, who plays Donna, and David who is Ray, they are both really good in very different ways.
A little bit of advice – don’t try and leave early. You really don’t want to miss the brilliant mega mix finale. You’ve waited two hours to get on your feet and dance along to these classic hits, this is your chance to do just that – and believe me, everyone did. You really can’t beat a bit of ‘Amarillo‘.
You’ll head home thinking about these great tunes, perhaps remembering the days when you bought your brand new 45s and took them back to play on you record player. One thing is for sure, someone will say ‘they don’t write songs like that anymore’, and you know, they actually don’t.
The show is a must-see for all those who want to relive the days of ‘proper songs’ as Margaret told us as she left the theatre, and if you want a night out, with nothing but feel good, this is definitely for you. It runs till Saturday at the New Theatre in Cardiff at 7:30pm each evening. There’s also a couple of matinee shows on Thursday and Saturday at 2:30pm. Tickets start at around £16 and there are some concessions available. For more details, and to get yours, go HERE.
DREAMBOATS & PETTICOATS: BRINGING ON BACK THE GOOD TIMES is a jukebox of a show, filled with hit after hit, which will have you singing and clapping all the way home. I defy you not to leave without a great big smile plastered over your face. The story may be a little wholesome and predictable, but just like the milkshake Bobby and Laura are sharing on the posters outside the theatre, you’ll drink it all in and come back for a second helping.
Finally, if you’ve seen the show and listened to the CDs, there’s also a book by BRIAN SOUTHALL. Dreamboats and Petticoats features the real story behind the popular songs and performers of the Fifties and early Sixties on which the musical Dreamboats and Petticoats is based.
All the show pictures above are by JACK MERRIMAN.
