Snapshots - Lorna Dallas

Crazy Coqs

This cabaret celebrates song writers of the past and Dallas' fruitful acting career. Whilst Dallas has an exquisite soprano voice that she has preserved, the cabaret lacks relatability and substance.

It goes without saying, Lorna Dallas has a powerful, strong stage presence and her dazzling soprano voice can move and shake mountains. 'Snapshots' is all about sharing snapshots of her triumphant career in the arts. Her determination, passion and ambition shines through her performance at the swanky Crazy Coqs venue. Whilst Dallas can impress her audience with her talent, the show lacks development, a clear, relatable message and there are a wide range of songs, yet the piece feels repetitive. 75 minutes is rather short, but when all the songs feel similar... the piece drags. The audience need more of Dallas' divine, bubbly personality.

There's some hilarious tales from her stage days, songs from many 'dead song writers' which she reminds the audience throughout. Songs of the big legends of theatre, such as: Stephen Sondheim, Marvin Hamlisch, Kander and EBB. As a theatre lover, I was hoping to recognise at least one song, it is clear I need to dive deeper into the musical theatre archives and work on my old classics knowledge. Lorna Dallas also performed a song from a new upcoming musical, which was a treat for the audience.

The elegant cabaret has been pieced together by award winning Director Barry Kleinbort and Musical Director Christopher Denny. One question that comes to mind is: Are the songs American/Broadway classics? Could this potentially be why I am not so well versed? On the other hand, let's dive back into 'relatability', it feels the target audience is niche and this is only a show that can be enjoyed by theatre lovers who recognise these classics. Of course, you can be in awe of Dallas' talent, but you can't stay engaged for 75 minutes of just appreciating singing and this is where more performance material is needed.

There are some stunning notes played by Simon Beck, he is based on the piano for the show and harmonizes with the leading lady throughout. There were a few minor moments that Dallas lost track of the song, but Beck kindly links the music back up with her in a subtle way. The pairs stage bond is lovely to watch, and they both clearly have an abundance of respect for each other. The show would be more interesting if the moments of performing together were a little more natural and the moments of getting off track were decreased or a little more well-hidden. We're all only human and this may have only happened on this performance. However, it is helpful to have an action plan in place to prepare for mistake and find a way to disguise them.

It was a lovely evening of celebrating Lorna Dallas' theatre career and appreciating her talents. However, the message of the story could be a little more universal and relatable. She touches on photos and capturing moments throughout. This statement could have been explored further to bring the audience into her story. The cabaret setting also gives opportunities to connect with the audience and get them involved. Whilst Dallas' did address the audience, it did not feel like a natural conversation and there was a barrier between her and the audience. Lorna Dallas is a wonderful, talented and unique performer, this cabaret has more potential!

Crazy Coq's is a divine venue that offers a wide range of cabaret evenings with various performers from all walks of the theatre industry. It's a gem of a venue, that is located in the heart of Picadilly near all the big theatres... it's actually over the road from Moulin Rogue. It's worth a search to see what's coming up, because so many West End stars have performed one-night performances there such as Jak Malone from Operation Mincemeat, Carrie Hope Fletcher who is currently Calamity Jane in the UK tour, Andrew Pepper who is playing 'Ruth' in Titanique at the Theatre Du Lido in Paris and so many more big names. It truly is a gem for a cozy, fun night with your favourite theatre stars or even discovering someone new!