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The quality of this concert was astonishing because the BREMF Players are not a local ensemble. They are top class Baroque soloists playing under the stylish and persuasive direction of Alison Bury (violin). Julia Doyle (soprano) sang beautiful duets with Richard Earle (oboe) and Sarah McMahon (cello), whose depiction of swift horses in Bach’s Wedding Cantata was a treat. The ensemble was flawless and the trumpets in the Bach suite sublime. Youth orchestra players, music students of any age, please do whatever it takes to hear the BREMF Players’ next performance, Purcell’s Fairy Queen, on Sunday at the Theatre Royal.

St George’s Church, 22 October 2011
Rating:
Andrew Connal

American-born Des Bishop took the compere duties for the last Best of the Fest show in brilliant style; berating a young couple on a date (poor souls!) and turning harrowing life stories into rib-splitting jokes.

Pete Firman took the prize for the ‘Heir To The Paul Daniels Dynasty’. His biting humour and panache for quick magic was very entertaining, despite being a little old hat. Whilst John Molony stole the show with a classic stand up set about life’s sweet ironies.

Following a rather weak slot by Carl Donolley, Brightonian Sean Walsh closed the show in an energetic style, throwing himself across the stage; the crowd laughing all the way.

Concert Hall, The Dome, 21 October
Rating:
Woodrow Whyte

Clues were in the title, as such I was fully prepared to see plenty of male nudity. What I wasn’t prepared for was the throng of alcohol marinated ladies baying for meat like hyenas circling their prey. Audience participation was inevitable, however a wayward audience hand and her subsequent ejection brought the energy and atmosphere crashing down which was a shame as up to that point the show was hilarious. Manipulating the male form into shapes and some clever use of 3D imagery with CGI graphics made the show a theatrical event, not a Chippendale type strip show. Great cabaret.

Pavilion Theatre, Worthing, 22 October
Rating:
Lee Stevens

Steven Adams is a determined man and tonight he was determined that any members of the audience who chose to chat amongst themselves during songs were treated with the contempt they deserved and dealt with firmly – even a noisy niece was shown no leniency. This much-welcomed no-nonsense approach continued throughout a set of melodic, up-tempo indie gems and lovely reflective vignettes such as ‘Giving I All Away’ and ‘The Old Days’. The line “Something has to give and it’s not us” from ‘Sit And Wait’ was an accurate summation of this fine band’s committed approach to their craft.

Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar, 22 October
Rating:
Steve Clements