Strictly Comedy And Dancing, Royal Hippodrome, Eastbourne, April 6 (From The Argus)

Strictly Comedy And Dancing, Royal Hippodrome, Eastbourne, April 6

11:17am Monday 11th April 2011 in Stage Reviews By Tony Flood

The Royal Hippodrome’s latest stage offering is a variety show oozing fun and the feel-good factor.

But the title is rather misleading because this is in no way a take-off of Strictly Come Dancing. Instead, producer-director Colin Matthews provides his usual mixture of comedy, song, dance and magic.

The show, which runs either two or three days a week, stars comedian Tank Sherman, who dresses as a nun, doctor, policeman and even a Canadian mounty as he delivers a stream of quick-fire gags.

The highlight is his Mastermind sketch with fellow funster Gary Richard, a bubbly, cheeky chappie.

Richard also impresses as a singer, particularly in duets with Georgia Lee and Donna Marie, whose solo rendition of Love Never Dies proves to be a show-stopper.

Lee features prominently in a series of other song and dance sequences and also choreographs some excellent routines involving the four ladies of the Danze Fantazy troupe along with local boy Grant Martins.

Magician Oliver Tabor completes the line-up. After a slow start, he produces some staggering tricks as he makes birds and one of the dancers disappear.

Oliver returns to help out as a singer and dancer in a lively show deserving of full marks for effort.

* Until November. Call 01323 412000.