Review: JULIE MADLY DEEPLY, Town and Gown Cambridge - Tour
Photo credit: David Munn
Dame Julie Andrews is a household name; a legend many may say. The vast majority of the population will have seen Julie’s performances in iconic films such as My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins but there is so much more to her story, of which Sarah-Louise Young navigates in theatrical love letter to her idol, Julie Madly Deeply, which we were lucky enough to see at the Town and Gown in Cambridge last night on Andrews’ 87th birthday!
Ably supported by her long-time collaborator on piano, Michael Roulston, Young takes us on a journey across the 1 hour 50 minute show documenting Julie’s rise to fame; from performing at the Royal Variety Performance at the age of 13, to being catapulted into the nation’s hearts in some of the most popular family films of all time, through a series of musical numbers, anecdotes and audience interaction.
Complete with bob wig and bare feet (even if that was an accidental feature!), Young totally embodies Julie Andrews. She flits seamlessly between being herself as a lifelong fan, performing songs made famous by Andrews, as well as impersonating other strong influential figures in Julie’s personal and professional life - a particularly strong and instantly recognisable one being Liza Minnelli.
Playing to a sell-out crowd at the Town and Gown, it is clear that audience participation elevates this show to the next level. This is a group of people, not necessarily regular theatregoers but all present with a common interest. Young’s easy, instant, warm connection with her audience is unrivalled. Her charisma and ease of improvisation in unprecedented situations is mind blowing and incomparable.
Artists in the wider public eye are often best known for a very small number of things. For Julie Andrews, she will always be Maria Von Trapp and Mary Poppins. These segments of the cabaret appear to be when the audience are at their most engaged, purely because it’s what they know and are familiar with. Occasionally when referring to some of Julie’s lesser known works, there is an evident lapse in concentration from some audience members but due to Young’s cleverly pieced together material and Russell Lucas’ direction, they are never far from a place of comfort.
This is a joyful, fun production that will warm the cockles of your heart.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Jenny Ell
Julie Madly Deeply tours until the end of November 2022, with more information here.
