Derriere on a G String is a comedy meets dance show all set to iconic pieces of classical music. The show packs together 20+ sketches and uses music everyone recognises along with a huge assortment of characters and scenarios.
The sketches vary widelyp0o9i8uyds in subject matter yet all feel oddly relatable, from a simple ‘day in the life’ through to waiting for a bus and from searching for your passport at the airport through to waking up with morning wood. Despite the fact that not a single word is uttered throughout the show it is easy to understand what is happening during each sequence thanks to clever choreography by Alfred Taylor-Gaunt and impeccable delivery by the 6 strong cast. The humour remains consistently playful and cheeky without ever becoming repetitive thanks to the huge variety in physical comedy and Taylor-Gaunts huge imagination in terms of staging.
Whilst the choreography itself really leans into the fun and the comedy Taylor-Gaunt and the show generally is hugely assisted by the fact that every single one of the cast are very strong dancers. What makes the humour land so effectivley is the sheer quality of the dancing. The technical skill on display becomes so assured that the audience is free to simply enjoy the absurdity unfolding in front of them.
The cast are also packed full of character, Sammy Moore, Cam Tweed and Ryan Upton are often flung into each others arms and do so with bundles of charisma and a cheeky glint in their eye as they peel off layers of clothing, but always done in the best of taste. Alice O’Brien brings a seductive air to show much to the embarrassment of an audience member she consistently picked on, and the delight of everyone else. Ena Yamaguchi brought tonnes of character every time she appeared on stage and Courtney Cyrus demonstrated versatility from appearing as a vaping hoodie wearer to moments later appearing in a gimp mask!!
The choice of music was also spot on throughout and the musical arranger Luke Bateman excelled. It was wonderful to hear such well known classical music such as Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, the Flight of the Bumblebee, Swan Lake suite and much more in such an unexpected context. Whilst I cannot claim to be a classical music expert even for someone like me that would rather listen to Sondheim than Strauss the music was all familiar and this familiarity really helped with the comedy factor.
Derriere on a G String is gloriously silly, wonderfully inventive and consistently entertaining from start to finish. Beneath the cheeky humour and physical comedy lies an impressively crafted production packed with exceptional dancers, razor sharp timing and hugely imaginative staging. There is something irresistibly enjoyable about seeing these iconic pieces used in such a ridiculous and unexpected way. It is an evening filled with laughter, energy and plenty of surprises proving that sometimes all theatre needs is to allow the audience to have fun.
Derriere on a G String is on at Kings Head Theatre until 7th June. You can find out more and buy tickets here.
If you like this review you might also like my review of Sabrage, Cabaret and Six.