By Aashiq
Available until: Unconfirmed but it’s usually available for
48 hours so that would be Sunday 1st November at 7.30.
Can we just take a moment to salute these talented people?
Maybe not literally, saluting your computer probably does look weird and we
wouldn’t want it to get used to it. My laptop and I have a very comfortable
relationship where it stops working and deletes things and I call it names and
I don’t really see any need to change that. But the Showstoppers are very
different from computers. If you ask the Showstoppers to do something, they
actually do it. No matter how impossible it seems. You wouldn’t catch a
computer behaving like that. At the very least, it’ll want to spend some time
thinking about it.
The Showstoppers don’t have time to think. You give them an idea about plot or the style of the next song and they just throw themselves into it. Not all the ideas are used because you have to get past the host (who at this performance is Dylan Emery), but if he picks up your idea, the Showstoppers have to do it. They don’t even have time to complain. I mean, I complain when I’m happy sometimes. I can’t help it. It’s like a reflex.
Even when you know a show backwards, it’s flipping
terrifying performing for any kind of audience. I could not do what these
performers do. I’m probably quite versatile, I’ve done various styles of opera
and musicals, a few other classical styles, a small amount of jazz, a bit of
folk. And I’ve sung in about nine languages, if Latin counts. But could I sing
all the styles that are featured in this show? I very much doubt it! Even if I
could, they have to improvise in the style of specific musicals – and I haven’t
seen/listened to all of them! The Showstoppers have to be not just versatile in
terms of talent, they need a very extensive knowledge of musical styles. (It’s
possible the host has an Approved List somewhere, but if so, judging from what
I’ve heard over the last four weeks, the list must be longer than my legs in
heels.)
The Showstoppers this week are Ruth Bratt, back for her
third livestream; Pippa Evans, back for her second livestream; Andrew Pugsley,
who usually hosts the show; and the gorgeous Joshua Jackson, making his first
appearance. (I hope it’s okay to get just a little
bit overexcited. I will try to contain myself from now on. Maybe.)
They were given four plot ideas to choose from. I was a bit
disappointed with the choice they made as it seemed quite limited, but they
mostly proved me wrong about that, which is the most I’d ever want to be proved
wrong about anything so I’m very happy with that.
As it’s Halloween tomorrow (well, today), the audience
wanted a scary show. As if listening to politicians isn’t scary enough. But
they wanted more for the ghosties and ghoulies to come out. (And I’m always in favour of coming out, as long
as it’s at a reasonable hour. I’m sure I didn’t come out till after dark.) So
they came up with something absolutely terrifying: an American actor. (I’m not
being racist. I just don’t want to spoil the surprise. Besides, he’s only scary
when he pretends to be English.)
A few spooky musicals make an appearance, as well as a few
that aren’t scary at all. There are a couple from what I’m going to call
current shows even though they strictly aren’t and quite a few from shows that
really need to come back to the West End sooner rather than later.
There are also two songs which definitely aren’t in the
style of a musical. One of them I don’t know much about so it’s hard to judge,
but the other one is very realistic. It gave me a headache and everything.
Other scary characters include supernatural beings and
extremely cute beings (no, I’m not talking about Joshua. For the moment) which
the Showstoppers somehow manage to make scary. There are also some creepy masks
(as opposed to the kind you see on the street every day), some creepy plot
twists and creepy musicals. If you’re going to watch this one after dark, make
sure it’s on Halloween as I think it’ll all disappear before it gets really
dark on Sunday.
The ending is really cute too. One thing I really love about
this musical is that I really like all the main characters. That doesn’t always
happen, either in Showstopper or in
musicals in general. So, bonus! I especially like it when men do silly things.
It makes me feel so much better about myself.
Ruth is not just extraordinarily talented in terms of
singing and acting, she’s very good at keeping the plot moving and keeping
track of what’s going on. I always respect anyone who knows what’s going on.
Pippa corpses endearingly (that’s when you get the giggles, not when you dress
up as a dead body, a distinction always worth making in a spooky Halloween
show) and enjoys herself in an infectious way (if ‘infectious’ can still be
used as a compliment in the corona era). Andrew is surprisingly romantic (he’s
more the comedy type when he’s presenting) and Joshua is really sweet.
There won’t be any more livestreams after today and you
haven’t got very long to watch this one (though it looks like it might be
possible to rent the others from the Showstoppers website), but if you’re a fan
of the Showstoppers and you’re able to travel safely, they will be doing
socially-distanced shows at the Garrick Theatre, the Watford Palace and I’m
sure they said something about a tour. I know the whole idea of being in a
theatre is kind of weird. And scary. But we used to love it and I’m sure we’ll
love it again.
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