Coming in loud and not so clear

8:08am Thursday 9th August 2007

Lady Salsa

Grand Theatre, Leeds

First, the confession every reviewer should make if it happens. I left the theatre before the first-night performance of this show ended, fearful of becoming perhaps the world's first victim of "death by massively over-amplified drums and shrill trumpets" during the big finale.

The whole thing was just too loud - and I say that as someone who's survived Status Quo more than once! We spent the first half in the dress circle, in full sight of the four sets of speakers that blasted out what was not so much a wall of sound as a wall of noise, distorting the music and vocals and hurting the ears. For the second half we took refuge in the back stalls, sheltered by the dress-circle overhang from the output of the upper sets of speakers.

That improved things marginally, cutting down the distortion, but not so much that we were prepared to stick it out to the bitter end. A few had left at the interval. Others (like us) had moved seats.

Yet to be fair, the majority of people seemed to be enjoying this colourful, high-energy show. And with a bit of restraint on the volume there is a lot to be enjoyed as it tells the story of Cuba and its long musical heritage, linked to the personal story of the wise and worldly Lady Salsa (Trinidad Rolando Portocarrero) has who witnessed the momentous history of her island from her vantage point at the world-famous Club Tropicana.

The dancing is superb and sexy, the costumes exotic and bright, the music exciting, the rhythms infectious - so much so that (a colleague who stayed the course tells me) the whole audience was on its feet at the end, salsa-ing along with the cast for all they were worth.

The popularity of this show, which has been around for a few years, suggests that for many people it's a great night out. Not, though, for those with delicate eardrums or a tendency to migraine.

• Lady Salsa is at the Grand until Saturday. Box office 0870 1222820 or, online, at www.

leedsgrandtheatre.com

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