Review: DAZZLING DIVAS, The Mill at Sonning

Photo credit: Andreas Lambis

The Mill at Sonning is the ideal venue in which to host a one-woman show. The heavily raked auditorium means there isn’t a bad seat in the house so even those in the back row are still close enough to the performers to feel the magic and pick up every nuance that occurs on the stage.

Issy van Randwyck is a triple Olivier Award nominee, and her enchantingly beautiful vocals leave the audience in no doubt that she deserves every one of those nominations. Dazzling Divas takes us on a journey through the lives, loves and untimely deaths of seven of the worlds most astounding female performers: Billie Holiday, Marilyn Monroe, Patsy Cline, Janis Joplin, Mama Cass, Karen Carpenter and Dusty Springfield.

Van Randwyck embodies each of these starlets with simple costume alterations, well observed mannerism mimicry and an obvious knowledge of her subject matter. Although each of the women’s lives are potted into 10-12 minutes of stage time, all of the segments are engaging, informative and well structured to feature snippets of their best known songs.

The four-piece band lend flawless backing to Van Randwyck’s vocals, effortlessly achieving the range of musical styles demanded by the show’s legendary subjects. To close the show, the audience are encouraged to sing along with a rousing rendition of Springfield’s ‘You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me’. It feels a fitting ending to some of the more poignant tales told throughout the evening.

The show has a very short run, and is playing over the top of The Mill’s most recent production, Gypsy. The glitter curtains in front of a brick building façade work perfectly as a glitzy backdrop for the divas’ stories, and a few simple props such as empty alcohol bottles clutter the stage, reminding the audience of the darker side of fame that each of the seven experienced at some point in their career. Some of the lighting choices feel a little clumsy and heavy handed, but don’t detract from what is otherwise an aesthetically pleasing production.

Dazzling Divas is an informative and enjoyable evening of entertainment celebrating - as Van Randwyck points out as she closes the show - “brave and beautiful women, who flew too close to the sun”.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Sarah Brown

Dazzling Divas plays at The Mill at Sonning until 29 July, with further information here.