Love Train

A slightly baffling mixture of brilliant singing and not-so-brilliant dancing

Love Train

Celebrating the music of the 1960s and ’70s are four fabulously talented singers, one slightly unnecessary narrator and four entirely superfluous dancers. 

Asabi Goodman, Hilary Harrison, Michael Boulus and Joel Obrien showcase their incredible voices in both solo and group numbers that are beautifully performed.  With music from the likes of Tina Turner, Arethra Franklin and the Jackson 5, there are some difficult songs, and not one of them disappoints. Goodman in particular shines in her rendition of ‘Respect’. 

A small space at the front of the seating is the designated dance floor, where the audience are invited to spend the show dancing to their favourite tunes. A few take up this offer, although none remain there for the entire duration. Coloured disco lights could convince you that you were at a very tame club, and, like anything, the more you throw yourself into it the more fun you have. 

Host Paul Wheeler appears onstage every few numbers to make a quick comment about the changing social and political climate of the decades before disappearing again, and I genuinely fail to see the point of his presence. As interesting as the social and political climate of the 60s and 70s is, it didn't add anything to the show, and only served to create a strange lull in energy that was then picked up again by the singers. 

The dancers were also entirely unnecessary, and, unfortunately, not particularly good. Apart from some excellent sparkly costumes, they had little to contribute, and one of them blatantly did not know any of the dances. There may well be a very good reason for this - perhaps she stepped in last minute and had only just learnt them - but that doesn’t change the fact that it looked bad onstage, especially as there were only four dancers in total, so it was blatantly obvious that she didn't know what she was doing. 

To be perfectly honest, had the show just been the four singers performing their songs, it would have been a lot better. Everything else was just a draw away from them, and they are the real stars of this show.

Author

Sam Nead

Sam Nead Contributor

I am a 22 year old student who loves reading, writing and all things theatre-related. I am studying Liberal Arts and Natural Sciences at Birmingham University and I'm trying to write a novel, but not doing very well at it!

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