12:41pm Wednesday 1st September 2010
By Paul Smith
The “original” Original Tribute To The Blues Brothers, started life in the Hare And Hounds pub in Brighton in 1991. It opened in the West End just six months later, starring Con O’Neill. It won a BAFTA for Best New Musical, and the run was extended from six weeks to 46 weeks. Now it’s back in Brighton as the “all new” Original Tribute To The Blues Brothers.
Not having seen the original original I’m not sure what is “all new” but it certainly captures the spirit of the film version, foot-stomping its way through blues classics such as Shake A Tail Feather, Respect, Under The Boardwalk, Think and Sweet Home Chicago.
Brad Henshaw as Jake and Daniel Fletcher as Elwood are inspired casting, backed beautifully and energetically by the sassy Bluettes and the soul-saturated Blues Brothers Band – although why bassist Zane Maertens spends the first half in a jarringly naff baseball cap and Eminem baseball shirt, is a mystery.
There is no real story for Jake and Elwood, just some great music linked together with a bit of slapstick humour and some rather lame jokes. But the crowd, sprinkled liberally with old rockers and Blues Brothers lookalikes, loved it, taking enthusiastically to invitations to get up and boogie, especially towards the end. The Jailhouse Rock finale had everyone dancing in the aisles.
It’s not quite the Rocky Horror Show, which arrives at Theatre Royal Brighton later this month, but the “All New” Original Tribute To The Blues Brothers is a definite cult hit in the making.
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