All the Fun of The Fair @ Darlington Civic

The original TOWIE factor in Darlington

I was too young to really be a part of the original David Essex fan club (honest) - I know of his hits from radio play rather than fandom, I am aware of his forays into 80's TV & film by research rather than viewings, so, apart from him playing the Artillery Man in the timeless classic Jeff Waynes War of the Worlds, I would have to confess to being aware of Mr Essex's talents rather than being a devotee.  But, given the evidence of the Civic audience last night, not only is the Essex Factor still alive and kicking, his fans, all be them, like the man himself, a little greyer & a little older, are still held in his glow.

Penned, in part, by David himself, the show is a story centred around a traditional travelling fairground.  With more than a passing nod to the first half of Carousel, it is a tale of families, forbidden attraction and unrequited love wrapped up with plenty of drama and all played out to the soundtrack of classic David Essex songs.  There are a number of layers to this onion of a show; some very bouncy & upbeat, some quite touching & heartwarming and a few which are certainly dark, sombre & sad.  I dare say that the story would stand on its own without the songs, and, even (at the risk of incurring the wrath of my mum & the rest of the audience) could work very well without the man himself - that's not meant to detract from the main attraction but to acknowledge that the strength of production, writing & choreography makes for a very entertaining show in it's own right. 

Of course the audience really turn up to see Mr Essex and hear his songs so it's a great testament that All the Fun of The Fair resists the failings of many Jukebox Musicals to simply shoe horn in musical numbers just to swell the play list.  The songs all add to the flow of the story with very little adjustment of lyric or tone; it was quite impressive how some took on a completely unique feel when sang within the context of the characters' lives.

David Essex is very much aware that he is the main attraction.  When he takes to the stage he carries a presence, an aura which is very much 'all eyes on me' - not that he demands it but that he commands it - and why not, his voice still has the smokey, sultry tones mildly veiling an impish mischief.  It is obvious that some of the writing has been adapted to play to the expected audience responses (pausing for the wolf whistles & cat calls when he first appears, reminiscing to his pop star appearances) but he admirably resists making this simply a David Essex concert.  He is very generous in giving some of his biggest hits to other parts in the show - I thought that this worked very well and ensured that the supporting cast weren't marginalised to being backing singers.  Of course, there were some in the audience who were disappointed that he didn't perform every song of his back catalogue but that's why his CDs still sell in their thousands every year. 

Key standout performances included Louise English (Rosa), the gypsy fortune teller who has a mesmerising voice.  She opens the show with a haunting version of A Winters Tale which hints at the depths and darkness which lies beneath the surface of the central 'love story'. David Burrows (Harvey) plays the cockney father - an 'Arfur Daley type of wide boy - with a very powerful performance.  His portrayal of the dilemma of protecting his teenage daughter from herself but still trying to give her enough freedom to prevent outright rebellion was played perfectly - strong enough to hold belief but light enough to recognise this was a musical and not a Kafkaesque melodrama.
  

The choreography is clean, fun & makes great use of the Darlington stage.  There are a few routines where we seemed to be watching some bizarre gender reversal, as the seemingly butch & manly gypsy lads performed pirouettes, umbrella & balloon dances and lifted each other while the girls stood as the backing rhythm - not sure why as it did look a little too contrived - but the clever use of props and the additional background sounds of funfairs soon restored the magic.

So if you are a David Essex fan then you should already have bought your tickets - if you're a musical fan, or just a fan of good music, then roll up, roll up and enjoy all the fun of the fair - all that's missing is the smell of hot dogs & onions.