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Stage: I Love Rock & Roll – Rhumbelow Theatre, Tina’s Hotel, Kloof
REVIEW BY BILLY SUTER
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AN UNPRETENTIOUS, low-fuss presentation, I Love Rock & Roll is hardly likely to rate among this theatre’s best shows of the year, but it is an enjoyable outpouring of popular old songs delivered by seasoned singer-musician Dave Monks and bubbly Durban showband darling Marion Loudon.
It’s Loudon’s ebullience, audience rapport and good voice that most carries the show, but silver-haired Irishman Monks – who, with his brother, Harry, performed as Leprechaun in years gone by – also gets his moments to shine.
Dave, on guitar and vocals, and Marion, in a changing parade of dresses, perform against a black-curtain backdrop and, as with their earlier, equally low-fuss The Swinging Sixties, belt out a vast and varied selection of chart favourites from yesteryear.
Opening with Queen’s Crazy Little Thing Called Love and the lesser known Cliff Richard song, I Could Easily Fall in Love, the team tip hats to everyone from Elvis Presley, Fats Domino and The Beatles to Shakin’ Stevens, Showaddywaddy, Buddy Holly and The Everly Brothers.
There is little to no patter, although there is some brief linking narrative, as the duo offers highlights such as the shoo-boppy It’s in His Kiss, during which Marion snakes through the audience, and a cutesy Stupid Cupid. Other crowd-pleasers include The Wanderer, Good Golly Miss Molly, Great Balls of Fire, Da Doo Ron Ron, La Bamba, Rocking All Over the World, A Little Help From My Friends, I Hear You Knocking and , of course, Joan Jett’s I Love Rock & Roll.
Among other songs featured are Runaway, Bye Bye Love, Lucky Lips, Ain’t That a Shame, Now Or Never, Don’t Be Cruel, Twist and Shout, This Ole House and Under the Moon of Love.
I Love Rock & Roll has final Kloof performances at 8pm today (January 19) and 2pm tomorrow (January 20), and a season at the Durban branch of the Rhumbelow Theatre, in Umbilo, is planned later.
Tickets cost R150 (R130 for students and pensioners). Book at Computicket or phone Roland at 082 499 8636.
