Streisand. A Salute to the Streisand Songbook

As we were welcomed into Players’ Studio Theatre, it was obvious  that many improvements have  been made in recent years, turning their thatched barn headquarters into a very professional, intimate and comfortable studio theatre, the perfect venue for this review of Barbra Streisand’s life and successes.

Written by Lee Thompson, a former member of Players and director of their last show “9 to 5”, this was a well-structured show, interleaving short glimpses of Streisand’s life with some of her greatest songs – plus one or two lesser known ones for good measure.

The set was simple but most effective, achieving an intimate nightclub atmosphere with black curtains, a chequerboard floor, bar stools, displays of flowers and a small but beautifully formed band at the back, looking relaxed with their white bow ties undone. To complete the effect, relevant stills and videos of Streisand’s life (which must have taken ages to research and put together) were projected on a screen at the back.

Of the eight vocalists: Rachel Dean, Hayley Milton, Maz Hill, Jacqueline Willis, Olivia Collins, Georgina-Rose Rust, Birdy Todd and Joanna Alldridge, it would be invidious to single out any one of them. All were superb, confident singers beautifully bringing to life Streisand’s hits as solos, duets and full company numbers. They did not try to imitate Streisand, but rather capture the essence of her performances – and they succeeded extremely well, sounding fantastic singing solo, and harmonising beautifully in the ensemble numbers. The show was narrated by Nigel James whose clear diction allowed us to enjoy every nuance of the story that was unfolding. He was also the ideal Neil Diamond in You Don’t Bring Me Flowers – the only song to feature a male voice.

It was obvious that director John Bettesworth had paid great attention to detail in this production, with every move tightly choreographed, the singers beautifully costumed in stunning evening dresses – black in the first act and white in the second – even ensuring that when someone was singing, the others, perched elegantly on their bar stools, were all watching the singer.

The band, under the direction of Andrew Woodford, who also wrote the musical and vocal arrangements, produced just the right sound and, although a little loud at times, never overwhelmed the singers, thanks to the crystal clear sound system. Lighting too was spot-on (pardon the pun), focussing our attention on the singers and complementing the nightclub atmosphere.

This was not just a showcase for the talents of Barbra Streisand, it also highlighted the enormous wealth of talent that Portsmouth Players has amongst its membership. It was a hugely enjoyable show of great quality that would grace any professional stage, making a most memorable evening.

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