Dreamboats and Petticoats at The Bristol Hippodrome
Posted on: 2017-07-25
Our rating:
Kelly Jobanputra gives her verdict on Dreamboats and Petticoats, the musical showcasing a golden age of music, at The Bristol Hippodrome.
GET YOUR TICKETS TO THE REMAINING SHOWINGS HERE
The packed audience at the Bristol Hippodrome were taken back to the rock ‘n’ roll era on Monday (24th July) when the opening night of Dreamboats and Petticoats got everyone singing along to the classic hits of this unforgettable era.
This west end hit, which has a legion of fans, is inspired by the albums Dreamboats and Petticoats One, Two, Three, Four and Five – and is full of a constant stream of well-loved tunes including ‘Shakin’ All Over’, ‘Poetry in Motion, ‘Only the Lonely’, ‘It’s My Party’, ‘Tell Laura I Love Her’ and ‘Let’s Twist Again.’
The music was constantly interwoven into the storyline, which is about young musicians Norman and Bobby competing to win a national song writing competition. This is also a story about unrequited love; as the boys lusted over gorgeous Sue – shy Laura yearned for Bobby but just kept getting sidelined. However, this was by no means a serious show - it was full of humour and laughter; it had us all laughing out loud.
Every single performer was sensational when it came to their voice as well as their dance moves but for me it was Elizabeth Carter, who played the part of Laura, who stood out the most. Her voice was just so divine and perfect; she really was incredible. The whole audience clearly warmed to her and when she sang ‘Teenager in Love’ she got one of the biggest applauses of the night. The fact that she let the crowd sing the chorus and held a hand to her ear just added to our appreciation of her.
The support band were fantastic as well and seeing the main actors also play instruments at certain points in the storyline had us all in awe of their overall performing arts talent. These type of people really do make it all look so easy and there wasn’t one missed note or mistake.
It was so very lovely to hear the audience singing along to every song and the outfits and stage sets further added to a feeling of nostalgia. I may not have been around at this time of music (as most of the audience clearly were) but I can definitely still appreciate this golden time of sound.
Everything about this show was feel good and I can totally get why some people come and see it time and time again at various venues around the country. It leaves you with a big grin on your face and the feeling of being uplifted stays with you long after you have exited the Hippodrome.
It runs until this Saturday (29th of July) and I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed with what you get for your money – just make sure you know your limits when it comes to some of the dance moves! Get your hands on tickets here.
Article by:
Kelly worked as a journalist for the BBC for 12 years before she changed careers and went into the field of marketing. Having worked at BBC 6 Music for several years, she is passionate about many different genres of sound. Her other interests include theatre, comedy, books, food and days out with the family (she has a young daughter who she describes as a "whirlwind of fun.") Kelly is married to Vik who is a true Bristolian to the core! She is also studying nutritional therapy.
