Review: LIVE AT LOLA’S, Hippodrome Casino

Photo credit: Danny Kaan

An intimate evening of music, conversation and plenty of stages anecdotes, Live at Lola’s at the Hippodrome Casino is the perfect night out for any theatre lover. 

The launch of the concert series was hosted by Greg Barnett, who was the perfect host for the evening and kept the audience engaged and laughing the entire time. 

He was joined by Christine Allado, Hadley Fraser, Issac Hesketh and Carly Mercedes Dyer, who sang a variety of songs that had meaning for them or from previous roles. Each performance was incredible and we could tell that they each had a clear love for their choices. The talent shared between the four was phenomenal and we loved each and every song. 

Between songs, the time was filled with a chat-show type interview with the stars where they shared stories about their times in shows, which involved nervous habits, stage falls and even raccoons! There was also a quiz round and an audience Q&A section to keep us involved, which we felt was a great addition. The split between songs and chat was the perfect mix and we can’t fault the layout of the evening in the slightest.

A special mention must go to the Musical Director for the evening, Chris Hatt; an incredibly talented pianist who played everything from Sondheim to Jason Robert Brown, and even Disney. 

An incredible intimate experience that we will definitely revisit as the series continues. 

***** Five stars

Reviewed by: Maya Bateman