United Kingdom Anton & Giovanni Collectively – The Reside Tour: Cliffs Pavilion, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, 23.6.2024. (JPr)

Dancers – Anton Du Beke, Giovanni Pernice and Lauren Oakley (particular visitor) with Grace Cinque-White, Michelle Andrews (lead vocals), Katie Ella Dunsden, David Winters and William Bozier

Backed by Alex Turney (lead vocals, piano), Jacob Sales space (drums), Simon Crick (trumpet, flugelhorn) and Danny Grant (guitar and double bass)

Creatives:
Artistic director and Choreographer – Adam Burkitt
Musical supervisor and arranger – Alex Turney
Costume design – Jordan Graff
Lighting design – José Lorenzo
Sound engineer – DBS

Within the shiny memento programme Anton Du Beke and Giovanni Pernice – who’ve been touring as Him & Me for 3 seasons (in addition to in their very own separate exhibits) – reply the query ‘What’s going to be totally different for this present?’ Their reply is the rationale why that is such a extremely really helpful, exhilarating, entertaining present; even when like me you’re starting to lose depend of what number of like this you have got seen. Anton says: Firstly, we’re delighted to have a dwell band! As you understand I like dwell music, so the actual fact we now have dwell musicians on stage with us is solely sensible. Giovanni replies: ‘I had dwell musicians on my tour for the primary time this yr [review here] … and I do know Anton has at all times had dwell musicians too. I’ve to confess, once you dance to music that’s dwell, it’s the very best feeling’ to which Anton provides: ‘It simply hits you in another way and offers you the additional spring in your step.’

So, the Anton and Giovanni ‘bromance’ that has already seen them tour these three earlier instances and has seen them movie two collection of Adventures for the BBC to Sicily and Spain continues with Collectively (with Collectively Once more already introduced for 2025). I don’t intend to revisit the well-publicised points Giovanni has had with BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing which he has now left (maybe sooner than he wished to along with his personal solo tour in 2025 being titled The Final Dance). It was revealing that there was just one point out of SCD throughout this new present and that was from the very proficient dancer – and singer – Lauren Oakley who’s rightfully happy with being due again quickly for her third season, including how she ‘first watched Anton Du Beke on Strictly when she was 13’.

Jordan Graff’s costumes for Collectively provides you all of the glitter, glitz, glamour, sparkle and sequins you count on, after which some. Then there are some foolish ones, and the sight of Anton in his Eurovision getup just isn’t simply forgotten; lederhosen (for Germany and Switzerland), lengthy white socks (for The Netherlands), shiny footwear (for the UK), ‘budgie smuggler’ (fortunately unseen for Australia) and glossy sequinned shirt (for himself). There was additionally the Union Jack briefs he revealed throughout Buck’s Fizz’s Making Your Thoughts Up.

The entire present was nice however this whistle-stop tour by way of a few of Eurovision’s biggest hits after the interval raised the roof of Southend’s Cliffs Pavilion (as did ‘Welcome to the ‘50s’ within the first half and the disco part with closed the present). Giovanni launched it by saying ‘I’ve realized you get obsessive about issues’ to which an viewers member shouted out ‘With you!’ to a lot laughter. We heard, amongst others, snippets of Lulu’s Increase Bang-a-Bang, Sandie Shaw’s Puppet On A String (with Anton getting wound up!), William Bozier danced a splendid solo to Sam Ryder’s Spaceman and Giovanni and his associate Lauren danced a sultry Argentine-type tango to Conchita Wurst’s Rise Like a Phoenix splendidly sung by Michelle Andrews. Elsewhere a lot enjoyable was had by all in some vibrant costumes and high-energy choreography.

To be sincere it was the super-talented four-piece (with the assistance of these singing) who usually created an enormous band sound to assist the ‘50s, Eurovision, disco songs and extra and shared the success of Collectively with Anton, Giovanni and the remainder of the corporate. Giovanni (who does a imply Elvis impression) stated ‘We’re going to speak concerning the ‘50s’ dedicating it – tongue in cheek – to Anton. It started with C’mon Everyone, and different Elvis songs we heard included Heartbreak Resort, I Can’t Assist Falling in Love (to which Anton and his associate, the vivacious Grace Cinque-White, did an beautiful gradual dance, and it ended with a rampant Blue Suede Sneakers and Jailhouse Rock. The handclapping disco finale acquired everybody to their toes – younger, outdated and really outdated within the viewers – as all-concerned on the finish of a really busy present smiled their approach by way of Earth, Wind and Hearth’s September, and different acquainted disco anthems corresponding to Sufficient is Sufficient, Boogie Wonderland, and ending with Disco Inferno.

When videoing themselves and the viewers for social media, Anton stated it was ‘essential the social media’ and, realising how the age of these within the Cliffs Pavilion was skewed in direction of the aged, he added how he was ‘speaking to the fallacious room right here … go discover a teen.’

The bonhomie between Anton and Giovanni appeared real and there was a lot gentle innuendo and laughs on the expense of Giovanni’s often mangling the English language – assume Chico Marx, which ages me! – corresponding to when he stated he was so obsessive about Anton that ‘I’m your Child Brenda’ properly that’s what his ‘Child Reindeer’ seemed like! There was laughs on the expense of ‘Souffend’ known as initially ‘one of the superbly locations on the earth’ (?), that additionally they had one other present to do after this matinee and concerning the present itself with Anton saying at one level ‘Does it scream midlife disaster?’

At all times above and past any tacky repartee was the superb music and very good dancing from your complete Collectively firm with too many highlights to say all of them: there was Anton and Giovanni’s opening Collectively (Wherever We Go) from Gypsy (which must be seen to be believed); the enjoyable part after they reminisced about their travels in Spain and the go to to Fort Bravo – the place Spaghetti Westerns have been made – which now featured the bubbling Lauren singing and dancing up a storm by way of Present Off from the musical The Drowsy Chaperone (which I’ve truly seen) and ended with a riotous hoedown to Beyoncé’s Texas Maintain’em.

All in all, it was so nice to be collectively as soon as extra with Anton and Giovanni in Collectively! Do see it for those who can.

Jim Pritchard