Spotlight’s annual season of Beyond the West End at Shanklin Theatre is as much of a solid summer staple on the Isle of Wight as Cowes Week, the Garlic Festival and Ryde Carnival. Beyond the West End, a dazzling mix of high energy dance routines, beautiful solos and hilarious comedy moments, has been entertaining audiences for 15 years. Looking for fabulous evening entertainment? It doesn’t get much better than this! This year’s colourful mix of musicals is told through the lens of a cruise ship trip across the Atlantic.
Beyond the West End (Image: Contributed) The welcoming voiceover of Captain James Pellow guides us across a dazzling trip over the ocean, taking in the Mediterranean, South America and finishing in the city that never sleeps, NYC! I’ll be honest, I couldn’t think of anything worse than going on a cruise. I’ve spent far too many hours on a cross-Solent ferry that the thought of doing that with a load of irritating people dressed in suits and ball gowns for days on end, sounds like hell! But, with Beyond the West End’s ‘Trip of a Lifetime’ I was able to enjoy all the glamour of a cruise without feeling seasick or fighting over the last bit of fish in the buffet..
. and all in just under two hours and at a fraction of the cost! Beyond the West End (Image: Contributed) The show has a bit of a slow start but once they set sail, this production really has it all! It’s a fast-paced, toe-tapping, all-singing, all-dancing, feel-good spectacle. People always say ‘there’s something for everyone’ but with this show there really is.
It’s a smorgasbord of entertainment featuring a Queen medley, classic Broadway musicals, some beautiful duets and even the Macarena! Spotlight champions supporting local talent, with many of the former cast members going on to perform in the West End and touring shows. The talent on stage from this cast of local performers is unreal. It was really nice to see a number of young people in the audience who were clearly inspired by these performances and dream of getting up there and being part of the company in the future.
The show features a superb live band under the baton of musical maestro David Redstone. The stellar cast includes Rowan Lathey, Charlie Johnson and Katy Allen who each deliver beautiful solo tracks. Joe Alabaster takes the lead in a number of the high energy dance routines.
The whole cast work well together in the fantastic ensemble numbers that are all full of so much character and comedy. James Derbyshire is the ultimate showman. His rapport with the audience and natural charm were put to good use in a rousing rendition of New York, New York.
The comedy pairing of Dominic Pope and Jayne Derbyshire was sublime. They had the whole audience in stitches in their insanely funny rendition of You Would If You Could. Who knew you could do so much with a massage table and a small towel! It’s a masterclass in comic timing and a playful adaptation of a classic musical theatre song performed impeccably.
In a perfect demonstration of what Spotlight does best, the audience were in tears laughing at a hilarious rendition of If I Were Not Upon This Boat one minute, and then blown away by the sensational sound of Ashleigh Mackness singing My Heart Will Go On the next. By golly, she can sing! Mackness commands the stage in a flawless performance with the audience in the palm of her hand. That’s worth the ticket price alone.
If you’re on holiday here, have you really ‘done the Isle of Wight’ without seeing this theatrical treat filled with some of the Island’s most talented performers? If you’re an Islander, Beyond the West End is essential viewing. Support local theatre and you’re guaranteed a cracking night out. If this newspaper did stars, this would be a massive five-stars from me! Spotlight’s Beyond the West End plays until October 10.
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