The Tiger Lillies: Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Oh dear, maybe once again it’s me but there was a distinct whiff of The Emperors New Clothes about this. Surely I was not the only person who hated the grating falsetto and vamping oompahpah of accordion and piano, the wavering theramin and musical saw…

Okay, there were clever bits, some rather picturesque moments but then some unexplainable ones too, memberless buggery of a cabin boy, a disco mirrorball at the end… I may be being too harsh but I did think that if they had spent less buying Terry Gilliam’s out-takes they may have had enough money to buy at least one memorable tune. I ached for it to end and I left wondering what they had thought they were bringing to the Coleridge classic. I’m convinced I would have been more entertained by a few episodes of Captain Pugwash.

Concert Hall, Brighton Dome, 23 May 2013
Rating:
Andrew Kay