REVIEW: GOTTA SING, GOTTA DANCE, Reading Hexagon, November 01 2009

For those who can't afford endless trips to over-priced West End shows, Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance is a great way to get a taste of the best London's theatreland can offer. The show features only five performers (with a sixth, presumably an understudy, coming on stage occasionally) but they managed to do justIce To musical theatre classics ranging from My Fair Lady and Les Miserables to Mamma Mia and Wicked.

Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance has been regularly touring the UK during the past two years, giving regional audiences the chance to see West End-quality performances of some of musical theatre's most popular songs. The current cast includes performers with such shows as Chicago, Cabaret, We Will Rock You and Oliver on their resumés. Their impressive abilities in both singing and dancing demonstrate what a high level of talent can be found, even at the back of a West End stage. These performers may have spent much of their careers as understudies or part of the ensemble, but there would have been no complaints at any major West End show where they were in the lead roles.

My only criticism would be that there were several songs I didn't know included in the setlist, while some of the biggest musical hits were only sung for a few seconds during the final 'whizz around the West End' medley. However, I think it was a very clever decision to end on a reprisal of You Can't Stop the Beat from Hairspray, an incredibly uplifting song which always leaves an audience in high spirits and gasping for more.