Copacabana

Peterbrook Players are known for their polished and colourful musicals and this production follows the tradition. Copacabana is a musical based on the Barry Manilow song of the same name. It tells the story of Lola, a girl who wants to make her name as a dancer at the Copacabana Club. There she meets Tony who helps her. All is well until Rico Castelli visits the club and takes a shine to Lola. Tony is played by Richard Perks who portrays the unlikely hero with ease, and leads some of the numbers in the Copacabana Club with a smooth voice. This voice is put to great use in the duet This Can’t Be Real with Samantha (Penny Simpkins). Penny’s experience shone through as she mastered all aspects of the part of Lola, from new girl to dancing showgirl. A sprinkling of comedy came from Sam Silver (Andrew Alton) and Gladys Murphy (Jennifer Cole), especially in the perfect timing of Who Am I Kidding. Rico (Dave Shuttleworth) was deliciously evil and self-centred while his girlfriend Conchita, the fading star was portrayed with heart by Jo Smith. The colour for this production is provided by the many costumes changes. Full of feathers, sequins and frills, they looked stunning as the chorus and Copa Girls perform the impressive and varied dance routines. Every number was full of energy and polish. Copacabana provides a colourful spectacle of escapism and glamour, set to an upbeat score that takes you from New York to Havana. A great night out!

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