'Sweet Charity' at The Choccy Factory

Last night we went to see the new production of 'Sweet Charity' at the Menier Chocolate Factory with Tamzin Outhwaite in the title role as Charity Hope Valentine. I'm familiar with the film and saw it years on telly, but I've never seen it on the stage. If you've seen the film, and the stage show is very similar to the film, then you know what you're getting and it all comes down to the performances.

Tamzin Outhwaite has been in loads of things on telly, unfortunately, loads of things I haven't seen other than 'Eastenders'. But I did see her in 'Boeing Boeing' on stage a few years back. I thought she was excellent as Charity - old enough to have a past but young enough to be the wide-eyed ingenue with hope for the future. She had the right touch of knowing humour and a big smile with, a couple of times, tears in her eyes. She sang and danced a treat (there was lots of dancing) and she ably held her own leading the professional dancers in the cast.

The main support was provided by Josefina Gabrielle and Tiffany Graves as Charity's best mates in the dancehall, cynical and sentimental by turn, with great moves and voices. I was particularly taken with their threesome on 'There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This' when Josefina sings about aspiring to be a receptionist. Their voices worked well together as did the warmth between them, friends for years in a seedy dancehall but believing in each other and wanting the best for their friends, with a touch of bawdiness too.

I'd also single out Ebony Molina for her totally aloof and energetic dancing in the 'Rich Man's Frug' in the nightclub scene - no-one is cool enough to dance with her. She also won the most sparkly dress on the night award.

Of the men, well, can anyone compete with Sammy Davis Jnr as Daddy? the answer is 'no'.

I'm afraid I sometimes suffer from excessive suspension of disbelief in plays when the character is real to me. And that's how I view the love interest, Oscar, played by Mark Umbar. He starts off as a neurotic geek who Charity befriends and we see their love grow but then, at the end, he's a nasty bastard. How dare he? He also played Charity's other love interests throughout the play, all of whom either let her down or will let her down. Therefore I don't like him. Enough said.

Big songs, big set pieces, short short mini-frocks, big smiles and some tears. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Tamzin is great, the musicians and singers are great and there's some great dancing. Go along and laugh and cry. I did, and I think I'd like to go back again and see it further into its run.