Mix Tape
DIRECTOR: Terri Ella
CAST: Mortimer Williams, Vanessa Frost, Kristy Suttner
WRITER: Vanessa Frost
VENUE: Auto and General’s Sandton Theatre on the Square
UNTIL October 18
RATING: ***
Let me come clean immediately. I am the wrong age for this show – much too old. It’s all about musical flashbacks from the 1980s and 1990s that trigger memories of the “mix tapes” that defined a generation.
I recognised the songs, but they weren’t from my era, and neither were the moves or the hair.
But they were funny, and one could sit back and allow the memories of others to rekindle your own nostalgia.
It’s that kind of show where the patron behind you, who does fall into the right age bracket, kicks your chair from beginning to end as he taps his feet in time to the music he loves.
His partner knew all the lyrics, and she couldn’t resist singing along. It’s also that kind of show.
If you recognise the stuff, your toes will curl.
But I did wonder about the singing and the stories, and the way they were presented.
It was as if the performers hadn’t quite taken ownership of the material.
It was a sweet, quite sad and poignant tale about love and loss, but even the publicity material made it sound as if it was really about the music.
It is the music that is linked to the memories, but it’s much more than “where were you when that song was playing?”
There’s real drama here, but it takes a while before you realise it’s more than just a skit about nostalgic music.
Similarly with the songs. There’s not much one can do about backtracks, but if that’s what you’ve got, allow the voices to soar and make the song your own.
All three have good voices, but it’s as if the confidence was lacking, which meant there was an imbalance between the accompaniment and the singing.
It’s a sweet idea, especially for that generation. But if they want to attract a wider audience, they must stand up, grab the moment and put on a real show.
They’ve all got it in them, and there’s already a home-grown audience.