8:50am Wednesday 25th November 2009
By Emma Clayton
When a Chicago murderess wants to avoid the hangman there’s only one answer.
Enter Billy Flynn, smooth-talking lawyer who will work his magic in the courtroom for 5,000 bucks.
Roxie Hart enlists Billy’s help when she lands in Cook County Jail for shooting her lover dead, and before long she’s transformed into a celebrity criminal, upstaging rival cellmate Velma Kelly in the process.
With a striking monochrome set and costumes that leave little to the imagination, this is a classy show with a powerful message about manufactured celebrity in prohibition-era Chicago.
Murder, greed, corruption, exploitation and adultery unfold through stylish Fosse choreography performed by a talented cast of dancers.
Gary Wilmot got it just right as Billy, flashing a sparkly grin as he manipulated the press and pulled Roxie’s puppet strings. His performance, with the dancers, of Razzle Dazzle was a highlight, along with Cell Block Tango and I Can’t Do It Alone, performed by Twinnie-Lee Moore as a fabulous Velma.
Miriam Elwell-Sutton was great as Roxie; a suitably scheming tough cookie with impressive comic timing.
Runs until Saturday.
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