Review: DORIS, DOLLY AND THE DRESSING ROOM DIVAS, Oran Mor
Doris, Dolly and the Dressing Room Divas runs until 30 December
By: Natalie O'Donoghue Dec. 22, 2023
Back by popular demand, Doris, Dolly and the Dressing Rooms Divas is a show that takes us on a journey through some of the biggest names in showbiz. It is written and directed by Morag Fullarton and Hilary Brooks is the musical director and composer.
Set backstage in a dressing room, two makeup artists are privy to the most intimate details of these starlets' lives. As Judy Garland gets ready to perform, they discuss her career and romantic interests. The real strength of this show is the vocal performances and the likeness to the actresses they are portraying. Playing a variety of roles are Frances Thorburn, Clare Waugh and Gail Watson.
It's a crash course in Hollywood history as we learn details of Doris Day's life and hear some of her biggest hits. The Liza Minelli section is also a joy and the performances from Cabaret are a particular highlight.
An interesting contrast to the many, many stories of divorce from the likes of Judy Garland, Liza Minelli and Doris Day is Dolly Parton. Arguably one of the most beloved women of all time, they use well-known quotes from Dolly that poke fun at anyone passing comment on her appearance. We are treated to songs such as "Jolene", "9 to 5" and "I Will Always Love You" with a little bit of history about her background and career to date. One ever so slightly bizarre but incredibly welcome addition is an Ashley McBryde song during this section. The format of the show sticks to women who have been in the spotlight for decades but as rising star Ashley McBryde is my own personal favourite country artist of the last few years so her song "Brenda Put Your Bra On" performed by the trio was an extremely pleasant surprise.
While it's not a Christmas show as such, this feels like quite the festive treat. It's a relatively short show- each Act runs at 45 minutes with a 20-minute interval. It's a fun and camp romp through the hits and stories of these iconic women with excellent performances from all.
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